


Sunrise After Sunset

by Kyuyua



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante Lives, Fluff, Law is a Straw Hat, Luffy Being Luffy, Luffy has PTSD, Luffy has one more brain cell than canon, Luffy is an enigma and everyone just rolls with it, Luffy learns self-restraint??, M/M, Nakamaship, No beta we die like ace, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Temporary Character Death, Time Travel Fix-It, Unreliable Narrator, Zoro is Luffy’s brother, but he doesn't know it, but she's trying her best, except he’s not gonna die cuz this is a fix-it, kind of??, the author doesn't know how to angst, they have no idea what they're getting themselves into, we know who that is
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:14:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 56,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23748169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyuyua/pseuds/Kyuyua
Summary: The last thing he remembered was watching the sun fade behind the ocean and the sky go from blazing orange to a dark and deep blue. When the last bits of day disappeared from the horizon, he’d closed his eyes.And when he opened them, he choked on the water in his lungs.Or, in which the Straw Hats face a massive defeat before reaching Raftel and just when Luffy thinks he’s about to die, he finds himself drowning instead.Oh right, he time traveled, too.
Relationships: Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante & Trafalgar D. Water Law, Monkey D. Luffy & Makino, Monkey D. Luffy & Portgas D. Ace & Roronoa Zoro & Sabo, Monkey D. Luffy & Roronoa Zoro, Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 242
Kudos: 952
Collections: One Piece bests, Time Travel and World Travel





	1. Again

The air was heavy with the scent of blood and dust. Rubble and bodies littered the ground and the light of the setting sun caught on the metal of broken swords and pistols. Smoke still wafted around the recently damaged buildings that, only a few hours ago, were still standing tall and proud.

Luffy sat at the edge of the ruined battlefield, his back to the carnage and his eyes watching the horizon. The sight of the sun setting over the ocean was a familiar one, one that had accompanied him from the moment he set out to sea at seventeen and throughout his adventures in the Grand Line ever since. He’d seen it from the figurehead of the Thousand Sunny when there were only miles of vast ocean around them, not an island in sight.

He could practically hear Zoro’s loud snores as he slept on the deck some ways behind him, Brook’s guitar as he messed around with a new tune, Franky’s _suuuper!_ s from his workshop and Robin’s small chuckles that would follow, the clacking of Chopper’s hooves hitting the floor as he ran around the deck with Usopp, Jinbei watching them and laughing heartily. Nami would yell at him to come down since it was getting dark and that if he fell over no one would get him, and Luffy would respond with a _shishishi_ but wouldn’t actually move until Sanji called them all into the kitchen for dinner.

His smile was small and tired now, not that usual wide grin that he’d get whenever he was excited and about to fight some big baddie. The sky was getting darker now and Luffy turned his head to look behind him. He half expected to see the rest of the scene from his short daydream; the deck of the Sunny and the calm that filled him every time he looked at it—that feeling he’d get that told him “yes, this is home.”

What was behind him didn’t give him that feeling. It shattered it—made it feel painful, like shards of glass digging into his skin (or maybe his heart, because it hurt more there). 

The matted grass was stained red, not as red as the center of the battlefield but red enough for someone to know someone had probably died there. The bodies of his nakama were lined up beside each other, laid in the positions he’d left them in when he dragged them over. They were stiff and still like any other dead body he’d seen, but these were different. These were the bodies of _his nakama_ , and they _weren’t_ any other dead body he’d seen. These were the empty husks of his friends who’d been through thick and thin with him and were alive and standing behind him _just hours ago._ He couldn’t fool himself into thinking they were just sleeping. They were all cut down in front of him after all, and that wasn’t exactly something he could work his mind around. There was too much blood and too many wounds. And even then they looked more alive when they were sleeping than they were at that moment. _Because they were dead-_

Luffy’s eyes looked them over, somewhat dazed and maybe not fully there. They looked calm, their faces relaxed and the lines of stress gone from their skin. He’d heard once how death lifted the burdens of life. Freed one from living hell. He didn’t really understand then—life had never been a burden to him. Life was full of adventure and fun and friends and his nakama and his goal to be the Pirate King. He never wanted to die and never thought about what would happen after he did. Now though, he could understand it just a bit, looking at the lifeless bodies of his nakama.

Luffy didn’t want to die. Neither did his friends.

He didn’t know what he wanted now.

When his eyes landed on Law he grimaced because _god_ , he’d practically dragged the other captain with him, hadn’t he? The man only went because he _forced_ him to, prodding and whining and complaining and begging, not giving him a say in any of it. And Law just went with it, resigning himself to his fate, because that’s what he always did when it came to Luffy, right? Luffy, who he knew wouldn’t listen and could only ride the wave out with. 

Luffy’s stubbornness had killed him.

The others he didn’t feel as bad about - no, wait, he felt _horrible_ about it still, but he hadn’t been hit in the gut with guilt like he had with Law. Because his crew came because they wanted to. They fought and stayed by his side and supported him because they wanted to. He hadn’t forced them to come like he had with the Heart captain. It didn’t make him feel better, though. He felt empty and wanted to cry but didn’t have the energy to. 

“I won,” Luffy whispered into the breeze as the final rays of light settled behind the horizon, “but it doesn’t feel like I did.”

Luffy had lost before, but this time he lost too much.

He couldn’t protect them. All that training he’d done had gone to waste. He couldn’t help thinking that he should have trained longer, harder, maybe they should have had three years instead of two. Maybe they should’ve waited before going straight to Raftel, gotten more experience to prepare themselves.

But what happened happened and there was nothing he could change now. The fact was that they lost, their past victories had gone to their heads and came back to bite them in the ass. They were all dead and it was Luffy’s _failure as a captain_. He’d sworn to never let such a thing happen in front of him ever again, especially when he was just within reach. He’d broken that promise.

_Nine voices echoed the same words._

_“I won’t die.”_

_When he asked the other when they were alone, he’d said the same thing._

A lump formed in his throat.

They all broke their promises, too.

The stars in the sky were another familiar sight. On the quieter nights on the Sunny, those rare moments when he wanted to be alone, he’d crawl his way up to the roof of the crow’s nest and watch the twinkling lights in the murky darkness. He’d absently wonder how far away they were and if anyone back at Foosha village could see them, too. Maybe Sabo was looking up at the stars or the bright moon that always accompanied them. Luffy prefered the stars to the moon. The moon was pretty, especially when it was reflected in the ocean’s waves, but Luffy always thought it looked prettier with the smaller but still bright stars that surrounded it, filling the darkness it couldn’t reach.

_Ah,_ he blinked. Sabo. He’d almost forgotten. That wasn’t fair. Now he was leaving him, too? That wasn’t fair at all…

Luffy moved to lay on his back, his uneven breaths becoming shallow. He smiled up at the night sky, a silent apology escaping his lips, heard by no one but hoping it would reach them all anyway. An apology that held so many more things than just a simple _I’m sorry_.

He closed his eyes and sank into the darkness.

.

.

.

.

.

.

_...is this what dying feels like? I’ve never died before so…_

For one thing, it was cold. Like, goosebump invoking cold. Not ice cold, but just chilly. He always thought hell would be, well, y’know, hot and fiery. But there wasn’t any light as far as Luffy could tell and it was, in fact, cold and not hot. 

He opened his mouth, about to shout and call to see if any one else was there, and sucked in a breath. However, instead of taking in any air, a stream of water slid down his throat and into his lungs. Luffy’s eyes shot open and- wow, look at that, there actually _was_ light and he just had to open his eyes to see it. He was underwater and watched as bubbles floated to the surface as he flailed around because-

_Shit! I’m underwater!_ Luffy thought, suddenly flailing harder. _I’m drowning, I’m drowning! I can’t swim! Gah, help me, someone help-_

His head broke through the surface and he erupted into a massive coughing fit, getting the water out of his lungs. When he was finished, he sucked in generous amounts of clean air and panted heavily.

“Aah, that scared me,” he said between breaths, feeling his heart thundering in his chest. “Why was I underwater anyway?”

Luffy looked around, seeing tall trees looming over him and the sunlight that broke through the gaps in the leaves. There was a lot of green and pretty flowers and Luffy thought, _Is this hell? I’m dead, right? I didn’t think hell would be such a pretty place. It looks familiar too._

And then he looked down and realized he was in the middle of a pond, which explained why he was drowning, but not how he got there and-

“Hah?! Wait, I’m in water-“ and suddenly he was drowning again, going back under the surface of the pond and flailing around wildly. What the hell was going on-

Luffy stopped flailing and blinked. His cheeks were puffed out and he looked around, noticing how the pond’s floor was still a ways below him and he wasn’t sinking and he wasn’t losing his energy either. Was he swimming? How could he swim? He hasn’t been able to swim since he was six years old. And even then he wasn’t that great of a swimmer, earning the nickname ‘Anchor’ from Shanks before he even ate his Devil Fruit.

Luffy kicked his legs experimentally and marveled at the way it pushed him up a bit. He _was_ swimming! It had been years since he last swam and he forgot how it felt but it felt _amazing!_ It was kinda like flying but underwater and not in the sky (and he’d flown before, so he would know).

When he realized that, yes, he still needed air, he kicked up to the surface and swam over to the shore, laughing loudly and happily. That was really fun, but he was really tired now. He sat at the edge where the water and land met and let out a happy sigh.

_This is too fun to be hell_ — _everyone always said hell was a scary place,_ Luffy thought, kicking his sandal-clad feet in the rippling water. _Maybe it’s heaven? Can pirates go to heaven?_

His thoughts were jumbled and confused and he wasn’t the type to think too hard about stuff so he dropped it, quickly dubbing the situation a mystery and standing up.

“So… where am I?” He said aloud, asking no one in particular. He could hear the sound of birds in the trees and the rustling of grass and leaves in the breeze. Luffy extended his Observation Haki and, huh, that was weird. His range was shorter than usual. He could only sense a few animals around him, no people. Maybe everyone was somewhere else?

Luffy looked back at the pond and saw his reflection staring back at him. His reflection’s eyes went wide and Luffy waved a little to make sure that was him he was looking at because _why was he so short?_ It was like he shrunk to just below his waist. Did he overuse Gear Third or something and shrunk again? No, that didn't make sense because he stopped doing that years ago. 

And then some sort of thought started to form in his mind, because really, what _was_ going on? He was pretty sure he was dead, but now he was here in some weird forest. A weirdly familiar forest too, but he didn’t know why. Just earlier, too, he was swimming and that shouldn’t have been possible because he was a Devil Fruit user and Devil Fruit users couldn’t swim. Did he even have his powers?

Luffy’s already wide eyes seemed to widen further. _Did_ he even have his powers?

He ran to the nearest tree and stood a few meters from it, winding up his arm. “Gomu Gomu no…” He threw his fist at the trunk. “Pistol!”

He expected to see his arm stretch and break in half but the only thing he saw was his short arm held awkwardly midair. Luffy tried again, using his other arm for another Gomu Gomu no Pistol and got the same results. He puffed out his cheeks frustratedly and kept trying, alternating arms, again and again and again and again.

After 10 minutes of doing the same thing, Luffy accidentally stepped too close to the tree and hit the trunk with his bare fist. He yelped out in pain as his skin slid over the rough bark, cutting into and scraping his flesh. Tears gathered at the edges of his eyes as the wound gave a particularly painful sting.

“Ow, ow, ow!” He groaned, sucking on the wound. “That hurt…”

Luffy wasn’t stretching and the punch to the tree had hurt him. Normally, even without stretching, a punch to a tree would crush the bark under his fist and do no damage to him at all. If he wasn’t trying to break the tree he would just bounce off it. Without a doubt, Luffy didn’t have his Devil Fruit power anymore. On top of that, he was small and tiny and in a strange forest that wasn’t familiar—until suddenly it was.

Luffy gasped, the pain in his hand suddenly the last thing on his mind, and his eyes sparkled. There was only one explanation for this.

“Mystery time travel?!”

This forest was exactly like one of the odd areas Luffy remembered his Gramps throwing him into back when he was just a kid. “For training” he was told. He didn’t really remember where exactly he was but it was pretty dangerous for a kid his age and he had no idea how he survived last time. There were big animals everywhere and the terrain was rough and hard to navigate through. He was left alone for a week and when Gramps came back to get him he was covered in mud and scrapes and bruises and still smiling brightly.

Luffy had no doubt that he traveled back in time, but that meant that he had the strength of his younger self. Luffy groaned loudly. That was years of training gone down the drain.

But then he perked up almost immediately afterwards because he was never the type to stay in a stump for too long. If he lost his strength then he’d just have to train hard to get it back.

Determined, Luffy nodded and pumped a fist—his injured fist, because he was an idiot. 

Right, he should probably wrap that up or something.

———

After finding some long blades of grass to wrap around his hand, Luffy set to work on figuring out his current strength.

His physical strength was obviously lacking, so he’d have to do something about that. And like he noticed earlier, the range of his Observation Haki was severely reduced and weakened. The range wasn’t even _half_ of what it used to be and the presences were dull and not as clear as he should’ve been able to feel. His Armament Haki was also weakened, the armor being much easier to break through and it being harder to keep up for long. 

When Luffy went to check his Conqueror's Haki, he was startled by the amount of it he accidentally released. Through his Observation Haki he found that he’d knocked out all of the animals within fifteen meters of himself and probably well beyond that, too. So his Conqueror’s Haki was just as powerful as ever, but it was even harder to control than before-

Luffy pouted, rubbing his head and tousling his hair. He’d done too much thinking. Even after all these years his brain would still shut down when using his _brain_ too much. All the thinking had been done by smarter people like Nami or Robin or Torao. He sighed.

He had a lot to do, it seemed.

Until Gramps came to get him, Luffy would dedicate his time in the forest to training.

———

Luffy had been there for three days now and Gramps had yet to fetch him. He had progress in his training though and Luffy was proud of the results.

His physical strength improved a bit and his stamina had gotten better. He even swam in the pond daily because one, it was fun, and two, it was good muscle training. Running around and hunting animals for food, along with fighting them whenever they popped up out of nowhere, was one of the reasons his stamina and strength had improved so much in the last few days (and Luffy ate a lot so he did a _lot_ of running). He even used a big stick he found as a pole to help him—a pole was, after all, what he mainly used to fight before he had gotten used to his rubber body.

Observation and Armament Haki were harder to train (it took him a year and a half to learn the basics, after all) but there was a bit of improvement in it now, too. While nothing really changed about the range, the presence of different animals were becoming clearer. He could tell which animals were which, like random boars roaming in the underbrush or hawks passing overhead. He couldn’t sense and smaller animals like mice or bugs since the presences they gave off were harder to sense. Armament was getting stronger, too. He could crush small rocks now and could hold it up for a few seconds longer than before. For now though, he could only focus the power in his hand and not anywhere else.

Training his Conqueror’s Haki was definitely challenging. It had been hard before but now, in the body of a child, it was practically uncontrollable. The massive will of an adult man wasn’t exactly something that could be contained in such a small body. Luffy tried training to control it when he was out hunting or fighting wild animals, focusing on single or selected targets to direct it to, but he’d keep making every animal in the area faint whenever he tried.

It gave him more food, though, so he wasn’t exactly complaining.

Luffy fell asleep that night with a full stomach (he was very upset when he found out his normal human body couldn’t hold the amount of food he usually ate without making him feel like throwing up. Stupid fleshy-not-rubber body.) and fell asleep straight after his meal.

In the three days he had been back, Luffy’s nights had been dreamless. He went to sleep exhausted but determined from training and woke up restless and hungry but ready for the day. Sleep happened in the blink of an eye and he thought nothing of those dreamless nights.

So the sudden dream that night was unexpected.

He was relaxing on his favorite spot on the Sunny again, back pressed against painted wood and arms propped behind his head. He was grinning, wondering what the next island would be like.

Franky called out to the deck if anyone wanted to see his newest creation and Luffy hopped off the figurehead, racing to the workshop with Chopper and Usopp on his heels. When they were all there, Franky started boasting loudly and quickly explained his odd gadget with terms only Usopp could understand before giving a grin and a thumbs up and pressing a red button. The machine rattled for a few seconds and the sound of something breaking was the only warning they had before it blew up and filled the room with smoke. Everyone started coughing and Franky gave a distressed “Aww, man!” as Jinbei ran over with Zoro, the fishman asking if everyone was alright and Zoro saying in a very Zoro-like way,

“Oi, no one died, right?”

Stepping out from the library, Nami yelled at him, annoyed. “You could sound more concerned, idiot. Who even asks that?”

Zoro glared at her. “They woke me up. And I was concerned—I _asked,_ didn’t I?”

Sanji kicked open the door to the kitchen and snarled at the swordsman. “Shitty Mosshead! Don’t argue with Nami-san like that! Nami-san’s always right, dumbass!”

Zoro turned his heated glare towards Sanji, baring his teeth into a scowl similar to the blonde’s. “Hah?! What’d you call me, Shitty Cook?!”

“A dumbass, dumbass! What, your hearing as bad as your swordsmanship?”

“Stupid Curly Brow!”

“Stupid Marimo!”

In the background, Brook _yohoho_ ed. “They’re at it again! Should we stop them before they wreck the ship again?”

Robin gave a smile as she flipped a page of her book. “They’ll stop soon, I’m sure.”

As if hearing her, Sanji clicked his tongue distastefully and put out his cigarette before flinging it at Zoro. He dodged.

“Whatever. You guys, clean yourselves up before you step into the kitchen. I will not have soot anywhere _near_ my kitchen. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes.” He sent a final glare at Zoro before stepping back into the dinning area. Zoro spat after him.

Luffy laughed, waving away the smoke as he sprinted onto the deck. “Shishi, you guys hear that? Dinner’ll be ready soon! Come on, come on, let’s change quick-“

He stopped in his tracks as he reached the deck and saw no one there. He turned around and suddenly he wasn’t on the Thousand Sunny anymore. Red filled his vision and the air filled with the scent of iron. His feet were planted on dirt and matted grass and he could see the horizon in the distance, the blinding sun setting over the ocean. The earth was red, the sky was red, the clouds were red, the seas were red, the sun was red.

He looked down at his hands and they were red too.

He looked behind him and saw ten bodies lined up on the ground.

Then he woke up.

.

He didn’t sleep that night. 

.

Or the next.

———

When Gramps came back on the sixth day, Luffy sensed him coming from as soon as he stepped into the forest. When he entered the clearing, Luffy tackled him (or more like tried to and stopped short because the damned old man didn’t budge and a little kid like him wouldn’t have made him stumble anyway). He clung to his shirt and hugged him as best as he could with his short baby not-rubber arms. He hadn’t seen his Gramps in years! He looked so young with less gray hairs and wrinkles and Luffy wondered if part of that had been his and Ace’s fault.

Gramps grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pried him off him, holding Luffy in front of his face with a teasing grin.

“What, you missed me, you brat?”

Luffy pouted, folding his arms and swinging his feet in the awkward position. “So what if I did, dumb geezer?”

Gramps looked momentarily stunned because he probably hadn’t been expecting that and grinned afterwards.

“You finally admitting you love me, eh, Luffy?” He laughed and raised his free hand. “Fist of Love!”

If you asked, Luffy would tell you that no, he didn’t scream and that you were hearing things. That weren’t his screams. Just to be clear. It was a manly yelp that in no way was a scream that came from his mouth. What he _would_ tell you was that Gramps’ punches hurt just as much as he remembered and he hadn’t even been using haki.

“Gyeh, that hurt old man!” Luffy shouted, reaching up to nurse his aching bump.

“That was the power of my love! How’d you like that?” Gramps kept grinning, looking too damn proud of himself. Luffy stuck out his tongue.

He was suddenly dropped from the air and landed on wobbly feet, somehow managing to stay upright. Gramps looked him up and down and Luffy watched him quizzically before the vice admiral nodded.

“You got stronger. Finally taking training to become a marine seriously?”

Luffy scrunched his nose. “Not a marine, a pirate!”

(He’d never become a marine. Not after what they did to his nakama.)

Gramps scowled and gave him another punch to the head. “I told you to drop the pirate thing already!”

“No!” Luffy retorted childishly (technically he _was_ a child, so it wasn’t out of place or anything). “I’m gonna be the Pirate King!”

Gramps made a noise. “Pirate King? When did that happen?” He asked incredulously.

“Since forever ago! I’m gonna be the Pirate King and you can’t stop me!” He pulled at the skin under his eye and stuck out his tongue. That earned him another Fist of Love to the head. (Stupid weak Observation Haki—he could’ve dodged that.)

“You brat! You’re gonna be a fine marine and if more training will finally get that drilled into you then so be it! Expect more training trips and monkey spars, you dumb grandson!”

Luffy was lifted by the back of his shirt again and wiggled around for a while before stopping and hanging uselessly in the air. He folded his arms again as the old (but not really old) man trekked through the forest. They made their way through the underbrush in a relative silence until Luffy remembered something he had been meaning to ask.

“Oi, Gramps, how old am I?”

He got a raised brow in response as Gramps said, “What, did I really hit you that hard or something? Sorry I guess.”

Luffy pouted. “Just answer the question.”

Gramps still looked confused and slightly concerned but answered anyway. “You’re five. Just turned last month. Sure you’re okay, brat?”

Luffy gave a noncommittal hum, occupying himself with his thoughts. If all the other signs hadn’t been obvious enough, this took the cake. He really did time travel and that meant he had another chance to get stronger and fix everything. He’d make sure what happened didn’t happen again, vowed they’d be more prepared and that he’d absolutely, 100% protect them this time. He wasn’t planning on breaking that promise a second time.

On another note, Luffy was somewhat upset. He was six when Shanks’ crew brought in the Gomu Gomu no Mi from a raid. He’d have to wait a whole year until he got his Devil Fruit powers back and Luffy wasn’t exactly the most patient guy.

But there wasn’t anything he could do about that so he would focus on his physical and haki training. He’d get stronger earlier and train his Gomu Gomu powers when he got them back.

Luffy nodded, proud of his plan, and glanced at his gramps. He’d thought about it before, not much because it was complicated and Luffy didn’t like complicated, but he decided it was the best way to do things.

He wouldn’t tell Gramps he was from the future. He wouldn’t tell him he became a pirate anyway. He wouldn’t tell him he was close to reaching Raftel and finding One Piece.

He wouldn’t tell him he died.

Gramps had been through a lot—worried a lot—for his and Ace’s sakes. They drew too much attention to themselves as pirates and put a ton of pressure on him, even if he was the type to laugh it off. His grandsons, some of the most notorious criminals of the world. Him, a marine vice admiral and the Hero of the Marines.

Luffy didn’t regret what he’d done. He never would. He would still become a pirate, still make a crew, still go to the Grand Line, and still find One Piece. That was never going to change.

But the least he could do was make it easier for his gramps. He’d be more careful and think before he took action (no matter how hard that’d be).

He wouldn’t let him regret having a grandson like him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter seemed kinda stiff or rushed, this is my first fic for the fandom and I’m not even done with the anime yet
> 
> *insert facedesk*
> 
> Hopefully my writing becomes smoother and better the more I write this fic. I also wanna try to throw some crack in but I’m not the funniest person so we’ll see how that goes... Please give me the motivation and support to keep writing!! Hope you stick around for the journey!


	2. You Can’t Not Worry Sometimes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makino worries about Luffy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know anything about Makino’s background so I’m making it up! I also decided to turn the bar into a pub and inn just for the sake of plot ;) Also, about the financial stuff in this chapter- sorry if it’s weird or anything. I’m a 15 year old who has yet to worry too much about money :V

One of the things (or people) that Luffy really missed about Foosha Village was Makino. She had been a constant figure in his childhood and the closest thing he had to a mother. Makino ran the pub and small inn (that was usually empty since there were rarely any travellers) in the village by herself. When Gramps brought Luffy to Foosha when he was still a baby, Makino had offered up one of the few rooms in the inn and took care of him when Garp was away. She had been there for a lot of his firsts and taught him how to read, write, and help around the house (she could never get him to cook, though. Every time she tried he ate the ingredients raw).

Luffy was really grateful for everything she did for him and was happy to see her when Gramps dragged him back to Foosha Village. He wanted to see her after he found One Piece and brought his crew to meet her and Dadan and see where he grew up, but he ended up dying before he got the chance to. He’s glad the time travel gave him a second shot.

Luffy’s memory wasn't the greatest thing. It was easy for him to forget names and faces and events that happened either recently or a long time ago, so it wasn’t surprising that Luffy didn’t remember Makino having so much trouble with the pub and inn. Of course, most children his age wouldn’t have noticed it, anyway.

As far as he knew, Makino had been managing the pub and inn by herself ever since she was a teenager. Her parents who ran the pub originally died early deaths due to an accident and Makino was left alone with the property. With the help of the mayor and the residents of Foosha, she was able to handle herself and take care of the pub. 

Even after all these years, though, there were still problems with money and too little customers and other complicated adult business things Luffy never understood (even if he was an adult). And honestly, Luffy never would have noticed Makino was having trouble if it weren’t for a small slip up she made with leaving some paperwork out. 

She was out on some errands and Luffy was wandering the first floor of the pub when he saw them out on a table. He climbed one of the barstools and picked up the small stack of papers, skimming through it and was about to put it back down since it was boring when something caught his eye. He read it over again, slower this time, before frowning when he was done. There were big words and confusing terms that he didn’t recognize, but he got the gist of it: the pub might have to shut down. There were a lot of reasons listed, but it all centered around money. Along with the pub, Makino’s parents left behind a huge debt that she was still trying to pay off, and with the money that went into managing the property and stocking the pub, she barely had enough left over. There had been less customers lately and that wasn’t doing anything to help, either.

Obviously, Luffy didn’t want the pub to shut down. He knew Makino loved the place and treated it with a lot of care. It was her treasure. He wasn’t going to let anyone take that from her. 

So he did the only thing he could think of to help her. 

He was going to make money. 

———

Makino knew something was going on. Luffy was acting strange—stranger than usual.

She loved the kid, she really did. He was fun and adorable and she saw him as her own son. She brought him up from a baby to the wonderful and energetic child he was and cared for him like an actual mother. That’s why, when Garp brought him back from “training,” she knew something was different. She couldn’t tell _what_ was different, though, and it was bugging her. Luffy was an open book, his face expressing the exact emotions he was feeling and he always said what was on his mind. When he came back from trips with Garp, he usually told her what happened, complained to her about what “that crazy old geezer” put him through. But when he came back this time, he was quiet. Or as quiet as Luffy could get anyways.

When he stepped through the door with Garp behind him, he practically threw himself at her.

“Makino!” He shouted happily as he clung to her waist.

Makino laughed and knelt down to give him a hug. She weaved her hand through his short black strands and smiled. “Hello, Luffy. How was the trip this time?”

Luffy looked up at her with a wide grin. “Great! I had a lot of fun!”

Makino ever so discreetly raised a brow. That was a different response than usual. Most times, Luffy would loudly complain right off the bat and claim that he never wanted to go again. She’d heard from the boy that he was usually sent to dangerous jungles or forests and left by himself or fought against wild animals, and while Makino had voiced her concerns before, Garp told her that he would be fine and the only thing she could do at the time was believe him. Although Luffy complained, she could tell he was never seriously injured and wasn’t _too_ worried, but to get such a different response this time made her wonder what happened.

Instead of showing her confusion, Makino smiled back. “Is that so? I’m glad.” She looked up at Garp who had taken a seat at one of the empty tables (there were no customers again, so there were many empty seats to choose from) and gave him a friendly smile as she stood.

“Hello as well, Garp-san. I take it Luffy wasn’t too much trouble this time?”

Garp nodded, his arm propped on the table and his chin on his hand. He looked somewhat thoughtful as he stared at his grandson. “I left him alone in a forest again and before I left the brat was whining again,” he said, huffing somewhat, and Makino could imagine it clearly. “But when I came back he latched onto me and said he missed me. He even actually trained this time, too. It was weird.”

Makino hummed and looked back down at Luffy, who was clinging to her leg and looking up at her with a curious expression. “Did anything happen?” She asked softly.

Something flashed behind his eyes, so fast that Makino almost thought she was seeing things. Luffy gave her his usual bright grin. “Nope! Just had a lot of fun! I got stronger, too!”

Makino almost frowned, getting the feeling that something was off, but she waved it away and reached down to ruffle his hair again. “That so? I’m glad.”

She turned to Garp once more with a grateful smile. “Well, thank you for taking care of him.”

The man laughed, grin wide and head thrown back. “I should be saying that to you! Thanks for taking care of the brat in my stead, Makino!”

“Of course! It’s no problem at all.” She said kindly. “I assume you’re heading back out again?”

Garp nodded, still grinning wide, though it looked a bit more apologetic. “Yeah, the work’s been piling up lately back at HQ. Vacation time was cut short.”

Makino nodded, understanding, even if she couldn’t exactly relate. “I see. I wish you the best, then.”

He stood up and crouched in front of Luffy. “I’ll be back in a few months, Luffy, so don’t forget my promise!” He flicked the boy’s forehead lightly before ruffling his hair fondly. “Stay healthy and get stronger!”

Luffy pouted a bit as he rubbed his forehead before grinning up at the man. “You bet, Gramps! And when you get back, I’ll be so strong I can beat up a bear!”

Garp smirked, hand stopping on Luffy’s head only to turn into a noogie. “Oh, really? I look forward to that then!”

Luffy whined as Garp laughed and Makino watched them with a smile.

In the following days, Makino tended to the bar as usual and served the few customers who still came. She noticed Luffy leaving more often, either wandering around the village or scampering off into the mountain. He always came back around mealtime with a happy grin, even if he was covered in dirt or scratches. Again, Makino was a bit worried but he seemed fine so she didn’t ask questions.

One day, though, Luffy came back around lunchtime with his fists covered in drying blood and bruises on his legs. When he stepped into the pub Makino almost had a heart attack.

“Luffy! Oh my goodness, are you alright?!” She shouted as soon as she noticed him. She abandoned the food on the stove (making sure to turn the fire off) and rushed to him with a first aid kit she pulled from the cabinet. “Luffy, sit down on one of the chairs! Don’t move!” She set down the kit and ran back to the kitchen to grab a bowl of water and a clean rag before moving back to him and kneeling in front of him.

“It’s not that bad, Makino!” He whined as she wet the cloth in the bowl. “I swear! It doesn’t hurt that bad!”

Makino only tutted and dabbed the cloth over his hands. “Luffy, what did you do? You have to be more careful when you’re playing!”

She cleaned the dried blood off as Luffy said, “I wasn’t playing! I was training!”

“Training?” Makino asked as she glanced up at the boy before looking back down at the wound. She winced at the sight of torn flesh and gave Luffy a sharp look. “Well, _training_ shouldn’t cause you to hurt yourself like this.”

She saw him gulp for a second before responding. “It was an accident! I was trying something out and I _almost had it_ but I lost concentration and hit a rock with my bare fist.” Luffy pouted as he said the last part, looking disappointed. “I was _so close_.”

Makino looked at him, baffled. “You punched a _rock?_ Luffy, what were you thinking? Even if you’re training, you shouldn’t go punching _rocks_ , of all things!” The cuts were deep and jagged and Makino didn’t have enough medical experience to keep them from scarring. She could only clean the wound and keep them from getting infected. 

“Well,” Luffy said, expression completely oblivious and tone dismissive, “it was more of a boulder than a rock. It was twice as big as me! But I’m small so that doesn’t really matter.”

Makino gave him an incredulous look as he kept speaking. “I was trying to break it in half! I can break smaller rocks in half—the biggest was as tall as me!—but I guess I need more training before I can break one twice my size.” Luffy was pouting now, his expression contemplative and Makino couldn’t tell whether or not he was making it up.

She cleared her throat as she put some ointment on the cuts and asked, “How did you get the bruises on your legs?”

“Bruises?” He asked and looked down at his legs. They were covered in purple splotches. “Oh! I was kicking trees!”

Makino stared. 

“I was training haki in my legs! Oh, and that’s also what I was doing when I was punching the rock, but in my arms! ‘Coz I’m not strong enough to break stuff with just physical strength yet. It’s easier to use Armament Haki in my arms than my legs, so I can only make dents in trees instead of punching them down. I’m getting really better, though! I bet, by next week, I’ll be able to kick it down! And then I can try rocks!”

Luffy said this all with bright eyes and a determined look and Makino sat there trying to process his words. She had no idea what he was talking about—what was haki? Armament Haki?—and thought that, maybe, just maybe the boy hit his head somewhere. As she wrapped his hands in bandages she peeked at his black hair to check for a bump.

“Um,” Makino said, not really knowing what to say, “well, just try not to hurt yourself like this again, okay? Be careful. I don’t know what I’d do if this happens again.” She’d forbid him from doing this self-training, that’s what. She would have fussed over him more if it weren’t for Luffy’s odd explanation that threw her off. Training was fine as long as someone was there to watch him, and while Makino trusted Luffy, after seeing _this_ she wasn’t so sure anymore.

To her relief, Luffy nodded. “Sorry, Makino. It won’t happen again.” He looked honest and apologetic. Good. 

Makino sighed as she set Luffy’s treated hands down and put away the medical supplies. “Alright. I believe you.” After quickly treating his bruises as well, Makino stood up with the used bowl of water and cloth (that was red from the blood) in one hand and the first aid kit in the other. She walked behind the counter as she said, “I’ll have to reheat lunch, so go upstairs and change into clean clothes, okay Luffy? Put the dirty ones in the bathroom and I’ll take care of them later.”

She saw Luffy jump off the chair from the corner of her eye as he shouted, “Okay!” and ran to his room.

Makino sighed again.

Unknown to her at the time, it was the first sigh of many.

———

Although Luffy never stopped leaving for his so-called “training,” he didn’t come home with any big injuries like the last one, much to Makino’s relief. He had scratches and scrapes and bruises from time to time and always came home covered in dirt and dust, but as long as she never saw too much blood she didn’t worry too much. Luffy healed quickly, too, so by the next morning any signs of roughhousing were usually gone. 

But she _was_ still worried and kept a closer eye on him when he was home (and sometimes she even considered following after him into the forest to find out _what the hell he was doing._ She didn’t though). She didn’t notice anything at first. Luffy was still his loud and usual energetic self and Makino always smiled when he ran down the stairs for breakfast and whined when he wanted to eat more but was too full to. She’d laugh whenever he stuck his chopsticks in his nose over dinner and tell him to put them down and eat properly a few moments later. She shook her head in amusement when Luffy helped with chores and made a game out of wiping down the floors or doing the dishes. 

Nothing seemed wrong until Makino started noticing the smaller things.

Sometimes Luffy would stop whatever it was he was doing and stare off blindly with a distracted look in his eyes. Makino didn’t think anything of it until she saw him doing it more often and at random times. It happened once when he was eating lunch. Normally, Luffy would scarf the plate down as soon as it was put in front of him, but he stopped in the middle of it and stared at the food for a few seconds. When Makino asked if anything was wrong, he blinked and shook his head before eating again and speaking enthusiastically about the things he did as if nothing happened.

There was another instance when Makino was helping Luffy take a bath. She was rubbing shampoo in his hair as he was reaching into the tub and playing with the water, telling her about some things he heard around the village and about a couple of wolf pups he saw in the forest when he tampered off and his hand stilled in the water. Makino looked over to see what was wrong and saw his face unusually blank. When she asked if he was alright, he only blinked, nodded, and then smiled brightly and continued to ramble off.

Most times, though, Makino saw him looking out the window at the ocean with an odd look on his face. He would do it at random times in the day, but mostly when the sun was setting over the ocean and turned the sea dark blue and orange and red. There was always a strangely somber expression on his small face that would never fail to make Makino feel the need to hug him, even if she didn’t know why. 

Another thing she noticed was that Luffy was strangely clingy. Of course, he was clingy and touchy before, never bothering to acknowledge personal space, but somehow it was different now. Whenever he got the chance to, he always tried to have some sort of physical contact with someone. He would glomp people loudly or quietly reach up and slip his hand into Makino’s without a word of acknowledgement. He hugged her a lot more often as well, and while Makino didn’t mind at all she couldn’t help but wonder what brought them on all the time. When Garp came back to visit and take Luffy out again (“How was beating up that bear?” “...” “Haha! Couldn’t do it, huh?” “Shut up!”), the boy even climbed him like a tree and settled himself on his shoulders. He wouldn’t get off even after Makino watched them leave on the ship Garp came on. 

Then there were the nightmares.

It was fairly normal for children to have nightmares from time to time—she had them as a child as well—but Luffy’s nightmares were often. Truthfully, Makino hadn’t noticed at first. Luffy’s room was directly beside hers and the walls were thin so if he ever shouted she should have heard. But Luffy never did. He never cried or made any sort of loud noise so she hadn’t expected anything at first.

It was three months after Luffy returned from that training trip when it happened.

Makino was in her room/office working on some paperwork. It was a few minutes past midnight and the light of her lamp was the only thing illuminating the room. It was quiet and calm and the only sound in the room was her relaxed breathing and the light scratching of her pen on paper.

She set the pen down and pushed the papers back when she was done, still frowning at their financial situation, when a loud _THUD_ sounded from the wall behind her. She jumped, startled, and turned to look at the wall. A few seconds later, another thud followed.

“Luffy?” She called cautiously. There was silence and then another thud, louder this time.

“Luffy? Are you alright?” Makino called, raising her voice. 

Again, no verbal confirmation and only a loud bang on the wall. She stood from her chair and left her room. 

In front of the door, she knocked a few times. “Luffy, I’m coming in!”

She turned the knob and looked into the room. The first thing she noticed was the thrashing figure on the bed. 

Makino quickly ran to his bedside and grabbed his arms. “Luffy! Luffy, wake up!”

Luffy didn’t wake up and kept thrashing instead. One of the arms she was holding back almost hit her in the face and Makino was slightly surprised by the strength and slight muscle he had in the short limb. 

Makino squeezed him and shook him a little. “Luffy! Luffy, it’s just a dream! You’re alright! Luffy, Luffy, it’s okay! Wake up!”

He only kept thrashing and Makino finally noticed that Luffy wasn’t making a single sound. He was sweating and his brows were furrowed but his lips were pulled back in a grimace and he seemed to be biting back his screams. There were small grunts but nothing beyond that. His whole body was shaking and Makino quickly pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Shh, it’s okay, it’s alright, you’re safe, you’re safe,” she said into his hair, rubbing his back and trying to calm him down. “It’s just a dream, it’s not real, you’re alright. You’re alright, Luffy. You’re safe.”

She stayed like that for a while, sitting on crumpled sheets with the shaking child in her arms. She muttered softly in the quiet of the room, repeating her words over and over and rubbing soothing circles on his back.

When Luffy’s thrashing stopped and his shaking calmed, Makino felt hands fist into her clothes as Luffy pulled himself closer. She looked down as he looked up, eyes dazed and red but no tears. 

“Makino…?” He asked, his voice quiet and hoarse, even though he hadn’t been screaming.

Makino’s fingers threaded through his black hair as she smiled softly. “I’m here, Luffy. Are you alright?”

Luffy turned his head down and curled into her. She felt him nod. 

“Are you sure?”

Silence. A nod.

Makino sighed, still petting his hair, and said quietly, “You wanna talk about it?”

He shook his head immediately.

She sighed again, softer this time. “Alright. You want me to sleep here tonight?”

She heard a small exhale of breath as Luffy nodded slowly. 

Makino smiled. “Alright.”

———

After that night Makino became more aware of the bags under Luffy’s eyes. They weren’t very noticeable but led her to believe that nightmares weren’t entirely uncommon to the boy. She never heard anything, though, so she assumed that that time had been the first with the thrashing. When she asked in the morning Luffy responded with a simple, “Sometimes,” and promptly changed the subject. Makino had sighed but didn’t ask any further. 

As Luffy ate his pancakes, Makino held the stack of papers she had been working on the night before in her hands. She glared at them a bit before sighing and setting them down. She wandered the kitchen and bar and took note of the things she needed to restock on. 

Luffy finished eating moments later and stood with his plate, making his way to the kitchen. Makino passed him as he went and grabbed her purse from the bar counter. She glanced over at Luffy as he stood on his tip-toes to dump the plate in the sink. She chuckled softly.

“Luffy, I’m going to get some groceries! Could you wait and watch the pub until I come back? You can run off to train afterwards!”

“Okay!”

She shut the door behind her, forgetting about the papers she left on the counter.

When she came back, Luffy wasn’t there.

———

When Luffy reached the end of trees and saw the vast wasteland of the Gray Terminal, a huge grin broke out on his face. He took in the sight of trash and smoke and more trash, breathed in the nostalgic stench of garbage (it wasn’t _that_ bad), and broke into a run down the slope. 

When he came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, he threw himself into the nearest pile of junk.

Luffy absolutely wasn’t crazy and had a perfectly good explanation for this. When he found out that Makino needed money, he remembered how he and Ace and Sabo used to make money for their pirate fund (or how they _are_ making money? Because he traveled back in time? But he’s not with them yet so cross that out). They would dig around in the dumped garbage from Goa Kingdom and look for anything good to sell. Sometimes they’d even steal from other guys with good stuff. Ace and Sabo made tons of money that way before he met them and they collected even more until Blue.. Blue-what again? It’s been awhile. Until whatever that guy went and stole all their money.

So now Luffy was doing what he did all those years ago (or what didn’t happen yet—god, time travel is confusing) and would give the money he earned to Makino to help with the pub and inn.

He also decided that he’d keep it a secret from Makino and hide whatever he earned under his bed until he had a lot to completely cover the money problems. He wanted to surprise her because surprises were cool and he loved them so she would too! He’d split the first half of the day between training and making money and the last half would be spent helping Makino around with whatever she needed. She was always doing a lot for him and Luffy wanted to repay her somehow, so he didn’t mind stalling his training. He had years until he set out to sea or anything big happened, after all.

He was in a good spot with his training now, too. It had only been three months but his physical strength was strong enough to lift one of Makino’s beer kegs (which are about as tall as him) and carry it down to the cellar without straining himself. His increased stamina let him run halfway up Mount Colubo without breaking too much of a sweat and he could swim multiple laps in the croc pond easily (the crocodiles were good for Conqueror's Haki training). He could almost use his Observation and Armament Haki to the same level it had been when he was halfway through his haki training with Rayleigh and Luffy couldn’t wait to get his Gomu Gomu powers back to train those, too.

After digging around in the trash pile for a few minutes, Luffy didn’t find anything interesting and decided to go further into the Gray Terminal to look for things to sell. He wandered around the area, eyeing the scattered garbage for anything that caught his eye. Occasionally he’d see a few people digging around as well and would say hi to them. Sometimes he would recognize some people and waltz up to them and chat them up like they haven’t seen each other in ages (which was technically true in Luffy’s case) (the other guys were usually very confused). 

As he searched the multiple mounds, Luffy couldn’t help but smile at the familiarity of the place. He had so many good memories (and bad, but he wasn’t thinking about that) in the Gray Terminal and he couldn’t help getting a bit nostalgic. He remembered running around with Ace and Sabo in the fields of trash and having so much _fun_. Life before he met them seemed unthinkable and boring and he didn’t know how he’d have ended up if he hadn’t met them. (Shanks, too. And Makino and his crew. There were a lot of people who held so much influence in his life that he couldn't imagine without.)

Honestly, Luffy wanted to see Ace and Sabo and become brothers with them right away. There were a few times in the forest when he was training his Observation Haki that he’d sense them. It was always only for a moment and their presences were small and felt different from what he remembered (though he never sensed Ace’s before with his haki since, well…) but it never failed to give him the urge to run off after them.

He never did, though. Part of him wanted to meet them after he got stronger. He wanted to be able to fight by their side like he used to and have fun spars with them. He wanted to win those this time, too. He wanted to be able to protect them when those Blue-guy pirates came and tried to steal their money, and he especially wanted to protect Sabo when the guys his dad sent to kidnap him came.

The other part of him just somehow knew it wasn’t time to meet them yet. He didn’t understand, but he’d grown to trust his instincts over the course of his life. They’d never really been wrong and he wasn’t going to doubt them now.

A few hours passed and Luffy had found a few cool things to sell and went home with 500 beri. It wasn’t a whole lot, but it was a start. 

As he made his way back, he admired the colors of the trees gradually turning red and orange and brown for the fall season. There was a light, cool breeze that drifted through the forest and lifted the bangs of his hair a bit. Luffy breathed in the autumn air, letting it out with a content sigh. 

While he loved loud and energetic gatherings with his friends and nakama, Luffy had always cherished the rarer, quieter moments he had alone. It gave him a moment to just _stop_ thinking (though he didn’t do much of that), breathe in, and… relax. He could enjoy and appreciate the smaller things, like the bright stars covering the night sky or the gradually changing colors of the leaves and the few that fell from their branches.

Luffy loved these small moments, but he always found them even more enjoyable with someone to share them with. No one would speak and it wasn’t ever uncomfortable. They’d just sit or stand there and take everything in. 

Moments like those with Torao were the best.

Luffy breathed in again, letting the air out softly. 

The rest of the walk home was made in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: 100 beri roughly equals 1 USD
> 
> I actually forgot Bluejam’s name and when I remembered I’d already written that ‘Blue-what again?’ bit so I went “yeah okay that’s good that’s fine” lmao 
> 
> I’m definitely open to any ideas for this fic! I’ve got a lot of things in mind for the plot but I’m more lost for the things in between… Sorry if I don’t end up using them tho!
> 
> This fic is also being cross-posted on Wattpad! (Under same username) Thanks for reading!


	3. The Sun is Bright and Annoying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Luffy is a ball of sunshine and Zoro doesn't know why the hell the brat keeps following him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just realized that Luffy couldn’t really swim even before he got his Devil Fruit so I went back in chapter 1 and made a small edit ;)
> 
> Also! Happy (belated) Birthday, Luffy!! Lot’s of love for the child <3 <3 <3

It was easy to say that Makino was _not_ amused when Luffy returned to the pub. As soon as he pushed past the saloon doors he was met with an angry Makino who was tapping her foot against the wooden floor.

“Luffy,” she said sternly, and Luffy knew he was fucked.

“Y-Yes?” He asked, quickly hiding the tiny pouch of beri behind his back.

“Where did you go? I asked you to stay here _until_ I came back, not run off and leave the shop unwatched.” The sound of her shoe hitting the floor resounded in the empty pub.

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

“You’re lucky nothing got stolen, Luffy,” Makino said, crossing her arms. “So? Where did you go?”

Luffy gulped, unconsciously stepping back. Makino was giving off a scary aura that made Luffy’s instincts scream at him to run. He knew he couldn’t lie—his tells were way too obvious—but Luffy didn’t want to tell Makino so he could surprise her in the future. 

“It’s a secret!” Luffy blurted out, breaking out into a cold sweat as the temperature in the room seemed to drop.

“ _Oh?_ Is that _so?”_ The tone of her voice sent chills down his spine and he sweated more.

“Yup! Not telling!” Luffy’s hand moved on it’s own and made a motion of zipping his lips. Luffy regretted the very action.

See, Makino was a very nice and kind person. She was patient and friendly and very understanding and sympathetic. So naturally, people like her were absolutely _terrifying_ when they were angry. It was like Nami when she was angry but ten times worse (except Makino didn’t hit him but had an intimidating presence and looked really really disappointed. Luffy didn’t know what was worse, getting hit by Nami or having Makino disappointed in him). If both of them got angry at him at the same time he’d probably die. 

Apparently he was zoning out again while thinking about that and when he tuned back into reality Makino was kneeling in front of him. She didn’t have the scary aura anymore but her eyes showed a bit of concern. Of what?

“Alright, Luffy, but don’t run off like that again, okay? Just make sure you tell me where you’re going before you do from now, okay?” She lifted her hand and carded it through his hair.

Luffy leaned into the touch and grinned, happy she wasn’t mad anymore. “Okay! I promise!”

Makino smiled and ruffled his hair affectionately before standing up again. “Good.”

She made her way to the stove where he could smell food cooking. With her back still to him she suddenly said, “Oh, and by the way, no training for a week. I want you to stay where I can see you the whole time.”

Luffy’s jaw dropped. “Wha- but-!”

Makino interrupted him. “No buts. It’s your punishment. Just to make sure you’re sincere.”

(Of course, Makino knew he was being sincere. She also knew Luffy couldn’t lie and was only honest about everything he did. He only hid the truth when it was important. So it wasn’t really a punishment, but Makino wanted to watch him for a few days and figure out what was wrong. She was worried and last night hadn’t slipped from her mind at all.)

Luffy pouted at her back. He couldn’t exactly blame her for doing that, but Luffy never broke his promises! And he wanted to make more money for her the next day. He couldn’t tell her that, though, so Luffy only sighed. When Makino was truly set on something she wouldn’t back down. While they weren’t related, it was a trait he and Makino shared. 

“Alright…” He said, still sulking. He decided to go to his room to hide the beri, making sure to hide the pouch from Makino’s eyes as he made his way up the stairs.

His room was pretty plain, since he didn’t have anything to put in it. He was fine with not decorating it much and it was for the best anyway since it wouldn’t be his room forever. Once he left to go to Dadan’s it would become a free room in the inn. 

Luffy found an empty box and put the pouch of coins in it before pushing it under his bed. He grinned for a moment, thinking about filling the box to the brim, before he remembered that he’d have to wait a while longer for that to happen. Luffy didn’t know what he was going to do in the next week. The only things he really did was eating, training, sleeping (sometimes), and helping Makino. He supposed he could keep helping Makino since she said she wanted him to stay where she could see him.

They had lunch in relative silence, occasionally throwing in random comments, when three people walked in as they were cleaning up. They sat at a table and Makino went to take their orders, happy to finally have some customers. Luffy helped her, carefully pouring drinks into glasses (and discreetly taking a sip from the bottle before spitting it out. How did Zoro drink this stuff all the time?) while Makino cooked. He served them their drinks and earned a pat on the head, making him grin happily. They spoke a little bit, Luffy asking questions, them answering, talking some more and then laughing. 

It was the first time Luffy did something like this—serving customers with Makino and chatting with them. Whenever customers came Luffy was usually out training. Before the time travel, when he was actually five years old, he used to go around the small village and talk to everyone, befriending almost the entire village. He was more focused on retraining his abilities now so he didn’t really do that anymore. He missed it, though, and decided to help Makino like this more.

A few moments later Makino came back with a tray of food in her hands. She set it on the table and Luffy peeked over the edge to look at it, drooling slightly. Makino always made the best food (though Sanji’s was better, sorry Makino!) and even though he just ate he felt hungry again. Makino scolded him lightly when she saw him eyeing the food, telling him not to steal other people’s meals, and the customers laughed.

There were a few more customers throughout the day (not a lot, Luffy noticed) and he served them and had fun talking to them again. The next thing he knew it was nighttime and they were finishing up dinner. Just as Makino finished eating, she seemed like she remembered something and looked at Luffy.

“Ah, Luffy,” she said, and Luffy looked up from his fourth serving to look at her (thanks to his not-rubber body he got fuller faster and he was somewhat glad that he wasn’t eating up all their food supplies. They weren’t exactly poor but he didn’t want to waste Makino’s money). “I forgot to tell you, but I need to go to the next island over to resupply the shelves. There’s a few types of sake that we’re low on and can only be bought on that island.”

Luffy’s eyes lit up and he quickly swallowed his food. “Really? Can I come, too?”

Makino smiled. “Of course. I can’t leave you here by yourself, after all.”

The boy cheered, happy to get off the island. It hadn’t been too long since Gramps last came to take him on a training trip but the trips were never to another village or city with people. It was usually just a small deserted island with no people on it, and while he liked to explore them it kinda got boring. He was excited to finally go to another island with human beings on it and not dangerous wild animals and plants that were too big to be considered normal.

“Is it a village? Or a big city? Are the buildings tall? How’s the food? Are there lots of people? Oh, oh! Is there a fountain? A big fountain? I wanna see a fountain! And eat something!”

Makino laughed and Luffy grinned because he liked making Makino laugh. “Go finish your food before you talk about more food, Luffy!”

Luffy gladly did so and asked more questions when he was done. Makino answered each one individually with the patience of a saint and the smile of a goddess. 

———

Makino wasn’t without worry, but she was glad Luffy seemed to be alright after the nightmare. She was concerned with the way he wouldn’t cry or let out a sound, and the bags under his eyes made her wonder how many times such things had happened. 

She decided to sleep with him that night, making sure he was comfortable and warm and sleeping, before going to sleep herself. He didn’t have a nightmare again, which she was grateful for, and he looked fine the next day (the bags were still under his eyes but he was as energetic as ever).

(She didn’t know that Luffy woke up an hour after she fell asleep, shaking slightly and clinging to her tightly. She didn’t know he never went back to sleep.)

They spent most of the day in the pub, sitting in the empty seats and talking. A few hours passed and Luffy brought out some paper and crayons she’d bought him a while back. He asked if she wanted to draw too but she said she was fine with watching. 

He drew them first (although a bit crude, but she could tell what it was), Makino in magenta clothes and her hair the darkest green he had and him in red and a scribble of black with what seemed to be a messy straw hat on top. They were in front of the pub and inn, holding hands and smiling while a sign hung over their heads saying ‘Partys Bar’ in messy handwriting. 

Luffy gave it to her and she proudly pinned it to the wall by the bar counter. 

He drew some more throughout the day and stopped occasionally to help when some customers came in. She watched him interact with them and make them laugh and it brought a smile to her face.

Luffy was a loud and happy boy, bright as sunshine and drew everyone near. He was very social and talked a lot and made friends easily. He was always like that, from the moment he was able to comprehend things, but after he came back from that trip three months ago he started to change. It wasn’t noticeable—it took her this long to truly realize it after all—but he _had_ changed. He didn’t cry as much as he used too and knew when and when not to bug someone. He seemed more mature (if _mature_ was the right word for it, maybe grown up or understanding) and had this odd air about him sometimes that made Makino feel like she was standing in front of someone to be feared but respected.

Most of all, he was sad, though he hid it impressively and frustratingly well. The only reason Makino could ever catch a glimpse of it was because she raised the boy. It worried the hell out of her and she didn’t know how she could help. There was something about his eyes that made her think he’d lost something—lots of things—important to him, like a bit of his heart was ripped out along with everything he lost. He’d get moments when _pain_ would flash behind those glassy onyx orbs and he would look so, _so_ much older and tired than she’d ever seen someone look before. Like he’d seen hell and didn’t know why he was still alive. He seemed much more closed off than before, but open enough for everyone to assume nothing was wrong. Like he’d curled into himself and was distancing himself from others ever so slightly.

Makino didn’t understand it. She wanted to, but she didn’t know how to ask.

Now though, watching him talk to other people with that bright genuine smile as he asked questions with curiosity shimmering in his eyes, she couldn’t help the relief that washed over her. It was like a weight lifting off her chest ever so slightly and her heart warmed at the sight. 

One day she would ask him. She’d figure out why he looked so lost and alone when he shouldn’t have a reason to. Until then, she’d make sure he felt everything but those emotions. She’d shower him in her love and attention and would continue to care for him like a mother. She would do everything in her power to keep him healthy, smiling, and shining brightly like the tiny sun he was.

During the time there were no customers (which was still most of the time, but there had been a few more customers than usual today), Luffy continued to draw and doodle with his crayons. After his picture for Makino he drew some other things. She watched him for a while, saw him make a small ship with something that looked like a sheep or goat for the figurehead. (Of course, Luffy’s drawing skills weren’t all that great, but Makino had a trained eye when it came to him.) He set it aside when he was done and drew another ship on a different piece of paper, bigger than the other one and with a sun(?) attached to the bow. Makino left while he was drawing the ship to clean around the bar, and when Luffy asked if she wanted help she declined and let him continue drawing.

At dinner he showed her all his drawings, talking animatedly about the things he drew. One was of Garp with a big fist screaming ‘Fist of Love!’ It made Makino laugh and Luffy promised to give it to his grandfather when he came back. Another was of two men, one in an orange hat and with no shirt and the other in blue and black and with a top hat. They both had fire around them and just when Makino was about to ask who they were Luffy put the paper away and took out the last one.

“This is my crew!” He said excitedly, holding it up for Makino to see. There were nine colorful figures lined up beside each other on the white sheet.

Luffy pointed at the first of the nine, a man with green hair that seemed to be wearing a haramaki. There were three swords tucked in the haramaki and a scar ran across his chest. “This is Zoro! My first mate! He uses Santouryuu! Three sword style! It’s _so_ cool! He can cut through buildings and steel and stuff! He also sleeps a lot and drinks a lot of sake and booze. When he comes you should probably keep him away from the bar!”

Makino chuckled at his enthusiasm as he pointed to the next one, a girl with orange hair and a blue pole in her hand. 

“This is Nami! She’s my navigator and she really likes money! She knows a lot about the weather and uses her staff to shoot lightning at people! It’s awesome! She’s also super scary when she gets mad and hits really really hard!” He seemed to wince a little as if imagining something and Makino watched him curiously as he shook his head with a bright grin.

He pointed to the third figure, a man with goggles and a long nose. He was holding a large staff that looked like a slingshot. 

“This one’s Usopp! He’s my sniper and lies a lot, which is cool because I can’t lie at all!” He laughed and Makino smiled. “He also likes to build things and helps Franky with his inventions. Franky’s this one,” he pointed to a blue haired man in a speedo, “but let me show you the others, first!”

Luffy continued talking, rattling on and on about his crewmates. There was Sanji, their perverted cook who worshipped girls, Chopper, a tiny reindeer who was their doctor, Robin, an archaeologist who loved reading, Franky, a cyborg who built the big ship he drew earlier, Brook, a skeleton who was a musician, and Jinbe, a fishman who knew karate. He started telling her stories about them, how he met them and what he did with them as their captain. She laughed a few times, happy that he was happy and amused at his imagination.

Makino helped him pin the pictures to his wall in his room and he smiled fondly at them when they were done. He was getting that odd look in his eyes again, but it seemed soft and relaxed if his smile was anything to go by. It was an expression she had never seen on his face before.

She asked him if he wanted her to sleep with him again and he politely refused. Makino gave him a worried look but Luffy only smiled and assured her that he was fine.

She couldn’t really believe him but let him sleep on his own anyway. 

———

The next two days were busy. More customers came in and Luffy helped Makino serve them once again, having fun talking and messing around with them. The pub was half full, the most customers they’d had in a while, and Makino seemed happy at the business opportunity. 

(Of course, Luffy didn’t know that the increase in customers was because of him. Word had gotten around about the cute little serving boy at Partys Bar who was fun to talk to and down right adorable. Makino guessed that was the case but didn’t tell him.)

Luffy got a bit more sleep that night but woke up early in the morning, partially because he couldn’t go back to sleep and because he was too excited. They were leaving the island for the next few days, after all! They’d only be gone for a day or two but Luffy was excited nonetheless. 

He was still up too early, though, and didn’t want to wake Makino up yet. The sky was pink and orange outside his window, enough for him to see clearly around his room, and his eyes landed on the drawings on the wall beside his bed. He grinned at them, whispering a good morning to his crew, and sat up on his sheets to get a better look at them.

He wondered what everyone was doing now. Zoro might still be training at that old dojo he used to talk about, Nami was probably with Arlong and stealing money from pirates, Usopp was still in Syrup village telling lies, and Sanji might have met Old Man Zeff already and was helping him build the Baratie. Chopper was probably with that old hag doctor or maybe the other sakura doctor he would talk about sometimes, Robin could have been travelling around the Grand Line or maybe was already with Crocodile, Franky was probably at Water Seven building cool cola cannons, Brook was probably still in that dark foggy place, and Jinbe was with his pirate crew.

Luffy wanted to get everyone together already. He wanted to find them all and get them on his crew and sail the Grand Line all over again. He wanted to save Nami from Arlong and Brook from his loneliness. He wanted to help Robin find a place to call home and people to call family and show Chopper that he could be a pirate, monster or not. He wanted to help Usopp become a warrior of the sea and sail with Franky on his dream ship. He wanted Zoro to become the World’s Greatest Swordsman, help Sanji find the All Blue, and see Jinbe's dream of fishmen and people walking in the sun come true.

He wanted to become the Pirate King with them at his side.

But he knew it was too early to find them and he was too weak to get to them. Half of his crew were in the Grand Line and there was no way he could get across the Red Line or the Calm Belt now. Plus, he wanted them to get strong, too, and he wouldn’t know how to train their strengths. He didn’t know a thing about swordsmanship or navigation, didn’t know how to cook or be a doctor. The skills they learned were ones they’d learned without him, but strengthened _with_ him. They’d all gotten strong together on the sea with each challenge they faced.

He couldn’t look for them now, but when he was seventeen he’d set off to sea again and gather them up just like before.

Or, at least that was the plan.

———

They left at noon in a fishing boat they rented from one of the fishermen in Foosha. Makino said the island wasn’t too far away, just a few hours. She warned him that they’d have to be careful, though, in case any sea kings showed up, but the chances were unlikely.

It wouldn’t be a problem, though, since Luffy could keep them away with Conqueror’s Haki.

As they glided over the calm waters with Makino at the wheel, Luffy stayed at the front of the boat, peeking through rails that went a bit over his head. He almost climbed onto the bowsprit but Makino stopped him before he did.

Watching the waves split around the hull was a familiar and mesmerizing sight, one he didn’t realize he’d missed. It brought back so many memories of days on the Going Merry and Thousand Sunny and Luffy couldn’t help the small smile that slipped onto his face.

The trip was a long and quiet one, save for the sound of crashing waves and the light breeze in his ears. Normally, Luffy would have broken the silence by now, complaining about hunger or rambling excitedly about the ocean or island they were going to, but he kept silent, keeping by the bow and watching the sea. 

It reminded him of a day back on the Merry, before they went up Reverse Mountain and entered the Grand Line. It was another one of those days where he was quiet and enjoying the small things in his life. He was sitting on the front deck with his back leaning against the bow, watching Usopp tinker on the main deck and Sanji move around in the lounge through the open door. Nami was off in her room doing who knows what and Luffy just sat there with a fond smile. There was a certain atmosphere on the ship that made him feel comfortable and relaxed, similar to the feeling he got when he was with his brothers. That feeling that made him think of home, right where he was supposed to be. He gave no indication of noticing Zoro when the swordsman walked up the small steps and sat beside him.

“I’m surprised you’re not running around the ship right now,” he said, taking his swords out of his haramaki and propping them up against the railing.

Luffy snickered and glanced at him, noticing the sweat dripping down his brow. “Did you finish training?”

Zoro nodded, wiping the sweat with his hand and leaning back. “Yeah, gonna take a nap.”

Luffy snickered again and left it at that, falling back into a silence. He could see Zoro looking at him oddly from the corner of his eye. It was quiet for a few moments before Zoro caved and sat up, leaning forward to take a good look at his face.

“You’re acting strange. Stranger than usual, anyway. What’s up?”

Luffy hummed and shook his head. “Nothing, just happy.”

“Happy?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Happy that I have this,” he waved his hand to gesture around the ship. “Happy that I can sail out and have nakama and be the Pirate King. We’re all here for our separate goals but we’re going to the Grand Line together and we’ll get closer than we are now. It’s gonna be great.”

Zoro raised a brow. “You’re getting weirdly sentimental. It’s _weird_.”

The captain laughed. “Shishishi! Maybe, but it’s true! I waited forever to have this and I’m glad I do now.”

His first mate snorted and leaned back again. Luffy turned towards him and gave a half-hearted glare. “Oi, don’t make fun of me!”

Zoro grabbed Luffy’s face with one hand and pushed it back. “I’m not, dumbass.”

He put his arms behind his head and shifted to get comfortable on the wooden floor. Zoro looked out at the deck like Luffy had been and grinned. “Just thought it was funny, s’all. I never thought I’d be a pirate and have this, but I’m glad I do, too.” 

Luffy remembered thinking Zoro was a huge softy under all that muscle after that. While his first mate was initially cold and distant, he gradually opened up to the crew the longer he was with them. Even though he was usually thickheaded and blunt (and that's saying something if it was coming from Luffy), everyone knew Zoro cared about them and would do anything to protect them. It was the same for everyone in the Straw Hats, really. He never really talked about his past and no one asked. If he ever wanted to talk about it he would, and if he didn’t he wouldn’t.

Luffy was glad to have Zoro as his first mate. He was undoubtedly loyal and dedicated to the crew. When things were difficult and spirits were down, Zoro was a pillar who supported everyone in his strange Zoro way. He understood things most of the others didn’t and always supported Luffy’s decision, no matter how crazy it was.

(Even if that decision killed them all, left just them as the last two standing. He never left his side, never stopped struggling with him. He always had his back- even if he had to protect it with his own. Even if he took a spear to the back just for his stupid crazy captain-)

He shook his head hard, forced those thoughts back into the deepest depths of his mind. He looked up at the bright blue sky and watched the clouds drift on the wind.

Luffy couldn’t wait to see him again. 

———

After hours on the sea they finally arrived at the island with no incident. They docked at the port of Shimotsuki Village and Makino took him by the hand to make sure he didn’t get lost. Shimotsuki Village was far bigger than Foosha and there were a lot of people wandering around. They were only at the port, too, so there were probably even more people and buildings. 

Makino led him to their inn where they’d be staying for the next two days and made sure he remembered the name in case anything happened. He helped her set down their things and explored the nooks and crannies of the room before deciding he was bored. Makino told him that they could look around for the rest of the day since she’d go on her supply run the next day. Luffy cheered in excitement and ran out of the inn to explore.

“Luffy, come back!” She called after him. “This is a big village! I don’t want you to get lost!”

Luffy stopped in the middle of the street and pouted before grinning and running back to her, taking her outstretched hand. 

They walked around the streets, looking at the different shops and eating snacks from the various food stalls. Luffy’s arms were full of street food that Makino bought for him (he didn’t ask for _too_ much since he didn’t want to waste her money) and some of the vendors even gave him a little extra. Luffy liked the people in this village.

When they reached the outskirts of the village, Luffy’s eyes widened in awe at the vast wheat and rice fields he could see at the base of the mountain. There were people working in the fields that looked like ants from the distance and his eyes trailed the river that wound through the fields. 

“Uwaa, it’s pretty,” he said, and Makino chuckled beside him. 

“It is, isn’t it? We don’t have fields like this back at Foosha. It’s a refreshing sight.”

Luffy nodded, grinning wide and bright. He suddenly had an idea and turned to Makino.

“Ah! Can we go down there and get a closer look?” He asked, practically bouncing in his steps. 

Makino smiled. “I don’t see why not. Just don’t touch the crops, okay?”

Luffy grinned wider. “Okay!”

He ran down the small hill they were on as Makino followed behind him. He made sure not to stray too far to ease her worries, even though he was looking around excitedly and really wanted to spring off and explore. The rice fields looked so _cool_ and the wheat was almost as tall as him! He could see farmers further off in the distance harvesting the crops and even some oxen helping carry stuff around. It was harvest season soon, so they were probably all preparing.

When Makino caught up Luffy continued to wander around. He waved at farm workers as he passed and they waved back with just as much enthusiasm. The people here were really friendly!

Luffy shouted out cool things he saw to Makino who replied to him as she could until he shot another random observation at her. He’d talk about how tasty the crops looked or how different the trees were here than at Foosha or how much he wanted to ride the ox they passed by. It reminded him of Ucy, the bull from the Colosseum in Dressrosa. Aah, that brought back memories. That was a fun tournament. He saw Sabo there for the first time in years, too!

Somehow he ended up telling Makino about his time in Dressrosa, about the tournament for Ace’s fruit and all the friends he made. He told her about the tiny people who were (but weren’t) fairies and how there were living toys that were actually humans. He told her that they saved everyone by beating up Mingo and his crew. He told her about how he was suddenly given a fleet even though he didn’t want it.

He told her about Torao.

Luffy stopped suddenly and turned his head.

(Makino wondered if his neck broke from the whiplash.)

“Luffy?” Makino asked. “What’s wrong?”

He was silent for a few moments, eerily so, until the brightest smile Makino had ever seen formed on his face and his eyes shined in pure utter joy. He quickly shoved all his food in Makino’s arms and declared,

“Sorry, Makino! I found a friend and I’m gonna see him right now! ‘Shimotsuki Inn,’ right? By the port? I’ll be back before dinner, I swear!”

before running off in a swirl of dust.

He sprinted through the crop fields and ran up to the mountain’s base. In the distance he spotted a dojo amongst the trees, and further behind it he could sense Zoro.

(He said he wouldn’t go looking for them purposely, but he never said he’d hold back if he found them by chance.)

———

Water crashed down hard over his head as Zoro sat completely still under the waterfall. He was meditating to clear his mind of any thoughts of losing to Kuina for the 1,984th time and how he still had yet to get a single clean hit on her. (Well there was that one time but that was a fluke so it didn’t count.)

He felt closer to beating her, though. 

Slightly.

Maybe.

Either way he vowed to win next time. His swordsman pride wouldn’t have it any other way.

So he sat there for maybe an hour or two, he couldn’t really tell, he’d lost track of time. The only thing in existence was him and the water. The only thing he could hear was the waterfall crashing onto him and into the pond below. The only thing he could feel was the numb coldness that bit at his skin and the energy flowing through his body.

There was nothing beyond that.

Until something came crashing into him.

It was like it ran into him full force, like what he’d seen when the oxen fought sometimes. Instead of flailing legs or sharp hooves to the gut, though, he felt arms wrap around him as he went tumbling back out of the waterfall and into the pond below. Water got lodged in his throat as he kicked to break the surface with the extra weight on him.

Zoro coughed until it felt like his throat was closing up and turned to see what the _hell_ decided to torpedo into his side while he was meditating. Looking down the only thing he saw was a head of jet black hair and small tan shoulders. Realizing it was a kid who interrupted his training, he scowled.

“Oi, you! Who the hell are you? And why the hell did you ruin my training?!” 

The words were filled with as much anger and malice he could put in them but it mustn’t have been very effective since the kid only looked up at him (it was a boy, Zoro noticed, though a really squishy looking boy) and smiled widely. Zoro narrowed his eyes.

“That was training?” The kid said, an air of carefree happiness surrounding him. “All you were doing was sitting under water. That’s not training.”

Zoro kicked at the water as he tried to bring them both to shore. “That was training! Very important training! Meditating let’s me become one with my surroundings and find inner peace! That way I can use my swords to the best of my ability! All swordsmen should do it!”

The kid didn’t say anything for a bit, staying silent as Zoro swam, but when they reached the shore he opened his mouth and said,

“That sounds stupid.”

Zoro threw him off him.

He pouted as he hit the ground and crossed his arms, looking disappointed that he couldn’t cling onto Zoro longer. 

Zoro glared. “Who are you?”

The kid kept pouting, though he looked more thoughtful as he looked at him and Zoro couldn’t help but feel like those dark eyes were staring into his soul.

Then the boy blinked and said, “You’re short.”

Zoro stilled before flushing—he was shorter than most his age and while he wasn’t really bothered by it it _was_ still embarrassing when someone brought it up.

“Like you can say anything! You look like you’re four, idiot!” He shouted, pointing a finger at the weird kid while he turned his head to hide the red on his face.

The kid hummed. “No. I’m 21.”

Zoro turned back and stared.

The kid—seeming to have caught on to his ‘the-hell-you-talking-about’ look—stilled and rambled, “Five! I mean five! I’m five years old! Not four! Sometimes I forget that.”

“That you’re not four years old?” He asked.

“That I’m not 21.”

Zoro stared.

Maybe he hit his head too hard on his rock hard abs. That would explain why the kid was so damn weird.

“So,” Zoro said, “you gonna answer my question or what?”

The brat grinned. “I’m Monkey D. Luffy and you’re gonna be my first mate!”

Zoro stared at the dumbass- ah, _Luffy_ , like he’d grown a second head for the third time in the last three minutes.

“What?”

“We’re gonna be pirates and travel through the Grand Line and find One Piece with the rest of our crew! I’ll be the Pirate King and you’ll be the World’s Greatest Swordsman!”

Zoro blinked and glared at Luffy accusingly. “How’d you know I wanna be the World’s Greatest Swordsman?”

Luffy only laughed. “Silly Zoro! You told me!”

“When? And how’d you know my name?!”

Now Luffy looked confused. “I’ve always known?”

“Always known-?!” Zoro choked on his words, mildly horrified. “Are you a stalker or something?! Who the hell are you, weirdo?!”

Luffy seemed offended. “I’m not a stalker! And I already told you, I’m Luffy! I’m gonna be the Pirate King!”

“There’s no way a brat like you could be the Pirate King!” Zoro declared, still off put by the kid.

“Sure I can!” Luffy said with the tone of someone who was annoyed at being told that same thing so many times. “Just like you can be the World’s Greatest Swordsman!”

Zoro stilled at that, because no one ever truly believed in his dream. Most times it was just adults telling him to “do his best” for a childish dream. Some even tried to convince him to find a more realistic dream, not believing he could actually get anywhere near that goal. And really, how could they? He couldn’t even beat Kuina _once_ out of the 1,984 times he challenged her. He looked down at Luffy pensively. “What makes you think I’ll actually be able to do it?”

“Hah?” Luffy looked up at him, his annoyance visible on his face. Zoro really wanted to punch him. “What makes you think you won’t?”

“The fact that I can’t even beat my rival yet? I’ve challenged her almost two thousand times now and I still can’t touch her.” Zoro grumbled. He wasn’t planning on giving up, but sometimes it seemed hard to continue, knowing defeat was the only thing he was ever going to get out of their spars. It was damn frustrating. “I’ve been going to the damn dojo for years now and I’ve got nothing to show for it.”

“Ah,” Luffy said a beat later. “Right. You’re weak-Zoro now. I forgot.”

Zoro scowled. “I’m not _weak!_ Kuina’s just too strong!”

The younger kept going, unfazed by the outburst. “Well if you keep losing just try again next time. You’ve already been doing that, so there’s not much else you have to do. I know how hard it is to lose, though, so I guess I get that.”

Zoro’s voice made a strangled sound. “Yeah! I’ve been _doing that!_ But _nothing’s happening!_ What’s the point of trying again if nothing changes?”

Luffy blinked. “Then get stronger.”

Zoro immediately felt like pulling out his hair. Why was he telling him this?

“Why am I telling you this?!”

Luffy grinned. “Because we’re nakama and nakama help each other out!”

“We’re not nakama! I’m not gonna be a pirate!”

Somehow, his grin got wider.

“Too bad! You already are!”

_“I never agreed to that!”_

———

Somehow, after Zoro decided he was fed up, he stopped training and went back to the dojo to take a long deserved nap. He wanted to sleep away his annoyance and frustration that came in the form of Luffy (and though that was usually done through training, the brat wasn’t letting him do any of that. Sleeping was the only alternative).

Of course, Zoro didn’t think he was going to get any sleep either—not with the cause of his frustration following behind him.

“Go away!” He shouted, throwing a glare over his shoulder.

“Don’t wanna.” Luffy quipped.

Zoro grumbled and trudged on, deciding to keep quiet and hoping the boy would leave when he got bored. 

A few seconds later something crawled onto his back.

“You! Get off me!”

“Shishishi!” The crazy thing laughed as he found his way onto Zoro’s shoulders. 

The older boy stumbled at the sudden weight and growled as he tried to upright himself. Luffy was about only up to his shoulders but it was still big enough for his weight to be considered heavy to Zoro. He’d lifted plenty of heavy boulders before, heavier than Luffy, but the kid crawled up him like a tree so fast that the weight was unexpected.

Zoro grabbed him by his ankles and tried to push him off his shoulders. The attempt was in vain, however, because Luffy held on with an iron grip. He tried again, putting more effort into the push, and Luffy’s hands shifted from around his neck to his ears. He yanked at Zoro’s ears as Zoro tried to push him off and the swordsman-in-training yelped.

“Ow, hey! Fine, you can stay up there! Just let go of my ears!”

Luffy did as he was told and happily moved his arms back around Zoro’s neck. He laughed his weird laugh again as Zoro resigned to his fate and kept walking, hands still around the kid’s ankles to make sure he didn’t fall off.

Moments later Luffy started rocking in place and kicking his feet out. He sang a weird song about southern and northern islands and idiots and Zoro was distracted enough by the movement that he almost tripped over a stray tree root.

“Dammit Luffy, stay still or I’m gonna run you into a tree!” He hissed, tightening his grip on the ankles and making sure they stayed in place.

“Haha! That won’t work on me! I won’t feel a- oh wait, right I’m not rubber anymore. _Please don’t do that._ ”

“Then stay still.”

Zoro felt Luffy nod and huffed as the boy continued singing his song, though the kicking and rocking stopped. He still felt like running him into a tree regardless but held back and kept walking.

There was still some ways to go before they made it back to the dojo and Luffy suddenly stopped singing. Instead, he opened his mouth to say,

“Hey Zoro, do you have parents?”

Zoro blinked at the random question and shrugged, Luffy bouncing on his shoulders with the movement. “Dunno. Maybe? I’m an orphan so I wouldn’t know. What about you? Got parents?”

Luffy hummed, resting his chin on top of Zoro’s head. “I have a dad but I’ve never seen him before. Don’t know about a mom, but Makino’s close to one I guess- she raised me after all. Gramps takes care of me sometimes and “trains” me but I swear it’s just an excuse to beat me up. I also have brothers! They’re really cool and strong and smart! Ah, they don’t know I’m their brother yet but I’m working on that!”

Luffy talked about his family and the things they did and Zoro listened. It was kind of interesting in a childish way and he found it funny how the kid didn’t stop talking, always finding something new to talk about. He rambled on for minutes and Zoro was barely able to follow but somehow found the mindless blabbering comforting.

“Oh! And Zoro’s family too, of course!”

Zoro blinked at that as he tried to make sense of the sentence. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Zoro’s nakama and nakama is family! So you’re family, stupid Zoro!” Luffy said, adding an extra “idiot” for good measure.

“Oi, I’m no idiot! Nakama just doesn’t make you family. What type of pirate even thinks like that?” Zoro said. “Ah, I didn’t agree to be your nakama, either!”

Luffy ignored the last statement and frowned. “All pirates should think like that! Shanks told me that anyway and he’s a pirate so he’d know! Well, he didn’t tell me yet but whatever. I’m also a pirate, though, so I’d know, too!”

Zoro rolled his eyes. “What do you mean by “he didn’t tell me yet” if he already told you?”

“It means he didn’t tell me yet but he also already did!”

“And that means?”

“I time traveled!”

Zoro deadpanned. “Uh huh. Yeah okay there’s no way you’re gonna be the Pirate King.”

“I will! And you’ll be on my crew!”

“I already told you I won’t!”

After minutes of arguing, Zoro finally spotted the dojo in the distance. He sprinted to the front gate and stopped just outside it, forcing Luffy off his shoulders and onto the ground.

“Alright,” he said, putting his hands on his hips in what he thought was an authoritative pose. Adults used it on him all the time so it probably worked, even if it didn’t on him. “This is my home and I’m going to take a nap. _You_ can go home and do whatever it is you do in your free time that isn’t bothering me. Bye.”

He turned on his heel to walk away but stopped when Luffy said, “I don’t know how to get back.”

Zoro looked at him. “You’re kidding me.”

The crazy brat had the audacity to grin. “Nope!”

Zoro was just about to take him by the shoulders and shake the hell out of him when he heard footsteps approaching and turned. Kuina stood there with her bamboo sword over her shoulder and that ever-present frown she always seemed to have (at least when she was looking at him). She raised a brow when she saw Luffy and asked, “What’s going on?”

Zoro opened his mouth to respond when Luffy shouted, “AH! It’s Smokey’s sword lady friend! What are you doing here?”

Kuina looked at him oddly and Zoro turned to his self-proclaimed rival. “What, you know him?”

The girl shook her head. “No. I’ve never seen him before.”

Zoro sighed, writing it off as another one of Luffy’s weird quirks, and jabbed a thumb in the boy’s direction. “Well, this brat’s been following me around and doesn’t even know how to get home!”

“I’m not a brat!” Said brat whined. “You’re only two years older than me!”

“You even know how old I am?!”

“You told me!”

“No I didn’t!”

“Shut up,” Kuina said, hitting Zoro on the back of his head with her sword. She turned to Luffy. “Do you know where your home is?”

“I live in Foosha Village. We’re visiting so Makino can restock the pub and we’ll go back after tomorrow. We’re staying at an inn by the port right now.” He told her.

“Do you know what it’s called?”

“Shimotsuki Inn!”

Kuina hummed, recognizing the name, and turned to Zoro. “Take him back.”

“What?” Zoro said intelligently.

“I said take him back. You should know how to get there—all you have to do is stick to the path. Even that should be easy enough for you.”

“Why do I have to-“ “You’re really overestimating him,” Luffy interrupted. 

Zoro turned on him. “Hah?!”

“Zoro would definitely get lost on the way,” the boy said, “He gets lost on straight paths. There’s no way he could make a trip down the mountain by himself.”

“Oi! I don’t get lost that easily!” Zoro was _not_ directionally challenged! He could totally make it to town! “Fine! I’ll take you! Just shut up and stop ruining my good name,” he grumbled.

Zoro walked off down the path, not giving them any chance to say anything. Behind him he could hear Kuina speaking to Luffy.

“You’re right, though. When he was first here he used to get lost around the dojo. When he tried to go to the training room he’d end up in the courtyard. It’s why he prefers to train outside. The only place he ever could get to by himself without getting lost was the kitchen.”

“Shishishi! That sounds like him!” 

“Hey! Get over here already, dammit!” Zoro shouted, absolutely not blushing in embarrassment.

———

Two hours later, with the sun already setting over the ocean, they finally made it to the entrance of the village. 

Luffy, who had found his way back onto Zoro’s shoulders, laughed. “I told you you’d get lost! I knew it! Hahaha!”

“Stop laughing! The village was moving around!” Zoro shouted, because really, it wasn’t _his_ fault the damn thing was avoiding him! He even followed the path but it disappeared under his feet! It was fine though, because he didn’t need the stupid thing anyway. He could find Shimotsuki Village himself. And he did—two hours later but he found it nonetheless. “We’re here so it’s fine isn’t it?!”

The brat kept laughing and Zoro grumbled insults at him under his breath, stepping into the town. He barely visited the village, opting to stay at the base of the mountain at the dojo and train his swords. The only time he ever really left was to run some errands, but that was mostly around the first month when he started training at the dojo. They stopped giving him errands when he kept getting “lost” (their words not his).

There weren’t many people out now since the sun was setting and people were going home, so the streets were mostly empty. The village was pretty big and there were a lot of winding streets and confusing signs. Lots of things looked the same and he swore he was seeing the same bench.

“Are you lost again?” Luffy asked, tugging lightly on Zoro’s hair. Zoro swatted at the hand distractedly but it didn’t stop playing with his hair. “I think you’re going in circles.”

“I’m not, dammit! I just can’t find the inn!” He shouted, looking around. That tree looked familiar. So did that food stand. He turned to the boy on his shoulders. “What’s the place you’re staying at called again?”

“Shimotsuki Inn! By the port!”

Zoro hummed. “By the port, huh?” That would mean the inn would be wherever the air smelled salty, wouldn’t it? He sniffed the air and grinned. “Got it!” He exclaimed before running towards the smell.

A few minutes later they were standing in front of a fish market. 

“You got lost,” Luffy said. It wasn’t a question.

Zoro didn’t say anything and glared at a dead fish. The damn thing looked like it was _laughing_ at him. Zoro hoped it got fried in oil.

“Oi, kid! Why’re you starin’ at my fish like it insulted yer mother or somethin’?” Zoro looked up at the man who owned the stand. “If yer gonna buy somethin’ ya better make it fast, pipsqueak. Shop’s closin’.”

“We’re not buying anything.” Zoro said. A beat. “Wai- hey! I’m not _that_ short!”

The man laughed. “Bwahaha! Sure ya ain’t, kiddo!”

Zoro scowled, his cheeks burning.

“Ossan, ossan!” Luffy suddenly shouted, causing both the man and Zoro to look at him. “Zoro keeps getting lost! Do you know where Shimotsuki Inn is?”

“ _Oi!_ ”

The man rubbed the stubble on his chin. “Shimotsuki Inn, hah? You not from here, squirt?”

Luffy shook his head. “Nope! I’m visiting with Makino so we can get some sake for the pub! She said you can’t get it anywhere else!”

The fishmonger grinned wide. “Ain’t that the truth! Our sake’s some of the best in this Blue! I’d reckon in all the Blues, even!”

“Ooh, is it really?” Luffy asked, sounding awed. Then he grimaced. “Sake tastes nasty, though. I don’t like it.”

“Bwahaha! Of course ya wouldn’t, squirt! Just wait till ya grow big and then you’ll see like the rest of us adults!”

“But I was an adult!” Luffy pouted. “It still tasted horrible!”

The fishmonger only laughed harder. “Yer funny, kid!”

Zoro watched the odd exchange with a considering look. Luffy hadn’t even met the guy and they were already chatting it up like old friends. He huffed. Guess it was another odd quirk about him, being able to befriend others so easily. Even Kuina didn’t seem to dislike him, and she didn’t like _anyone_. 

The man calmed down a bit and spoke. “So, directions, right? Well, go down that road there and take a right. You should see the inn some buildings down.” 

He pointed in the direction he was talking about and Luffy nodded, smiling bright. “Thanks, Fish-ossan! I’ll come by with Makino tomorrow and see if we can get anything!”

The man smiled. “That so, hah? Well I’ll see ya tomorrow then, squirt!”

“See you!” He laughed in his high voice before patting Zoro’s head. “Let’s go, Zoro!”

Underneath him, Zoro grumbled. “Yeah, yeah, I got it.”

He walked down the road the man directed them to, watching the other shops and stalls beginning to close up. Luffy hummed some odd tune as he bounced lightly on Zoro’s shoulders, not hard enough for Zoro to be annoyed so he didn’t stop him. When the road split, he took a right, earning a rough tug on his hair from Luffy.

“Zoro! He said right, not left! Right’s this way!” Luffy pointed to the opposite direction and Zoro frowned.

“I am going right, idiot. It’s this way,” he said, continuing down the path.

“Aaaah, Zoro, you’re so stubborn!” Luffy said as he climbed off his shoulders. Zoro wanted to argue, because really, if anyone was stubborn it was _him_ . Besides, that fishmonger was facing them when he told them to take a right, so naturally _his_ right would be _their_ left.

The smaller boy took him by the hand and pulled him the other way, laughing. “You’re hopeless!” 

Zoro raised a brow at that, thinking it sounded more fond than insulting. He really didn’t know why this kid was following him everywhere—though he was dragging him now—even though they just met. They weren’t exactly friends, maybe acquaintances, but they’d only known each other for a little over two hours. He didn’t know what he did to earn that look of admiration and fondness from the boy and he didn’t know why he would get this weird look in his eyes with an emotion he couldn’t name. Zoro didn’t know why he noticed, and he didn’t know why he cared. Luffy was friendly and easy to get along with, that much was obvious, but he made an effort to befriend Zoro and stuck to him like glue (though he couldn’t say he minded much). The weird little brat wouldn’t leave when he told him to and the swordsman-in-training has somehow found himself leading the kid home. Zoro had only met him that day, though, so maybe he was just thinking too hard about it—the kid probably did that with other people, too. 

Still, Zoro got the feeling that Luffy was hiding something, and he had no idea what. 

The sudden pull on his hand almost made him trip when Luffy decided to pick up speed and sprinted forward. Zoro stumbled a few times ( _He’s fast!_ ) before finding his balance and sprinting to keep up. He hissed.

“Luffy! What the hell?!”

His outburst was met with giggles.

“Look! It’s the inn! I want you to meet Makino!”

Zoro looked ahead and saw the inn further ahead, a large sign over the front with ‘Shimotsuki Inn’ in large bold letters. Huh. So maybe the brat got lucky. The weird fishmonger guy probably gave them faulty directions.

“You’re gonna love her!” Luffy said giddily, springing with each step. “Makino’s nice and kind and so cool! She’s amazing!”

Zoro nodded absently, wondering how the hell someone could be in Luffy’s presence for so long and not feel like running up a wall past the first five minutes of interaction. He said this Makino was like a mom to him, hadn’t he? She had to have a lot of patience to deal with this energetic ball of _Luffy._

When they reached the front of the inn, Luffy burst through the doors without preamble. Zoro almost shouted at him when the door almost hit him in the face but stopped when he saw a woman coming up to them. Luffy looked at her and grinned.

“Makino! Hi!” He laughed, waving at her. 

Zoro took one good look at her before recoiling and stepping back. She was petite and pretty, with her wide eyes and dark green hair with a bandana around her head. She seemed kind and unassuming, but Zoro couldn’t ignore the dark aura that came off her in waves, his senses screaming _threat_ in his mind. There was a terrifying smile on her face and a glint in her eyes that promised pain. 

She was _pissed_.

Everyone in the room seemed to know that, too, since everyone was sliding away from her and the person at the front desk seemed to be shitting himself. 

Everyone but Luffy, that is.

“Makino, I made a friend! Look, this is Zoro! He likes swords!” The dumbass laughed, his idiotic smile wide and ignorant. Makino’s eyes slid over to Zoro and he felt a chill crawl up his spine. Her eyes lingered only for a second before looking back at Luffy and he let out the breath that had been caught in his throat. That was scary as _shit_.

“ _Luffy_ ,” Makino said in a simple tone that didn’t give away her obvious anger but carried the same intensity all the same. The temperature in the room dropped to subzero.

With that one word, Luffy seemed to finally tune into the mood of the room and froze, shrinking back a bit. Zoro noted the sheen of sweat that suddenly covered his face and how the boy’s grip on his hand tightened.

“Uh,” he said after a moment, the sound coming out choked. “Yes..?”

The glint in her eyes intensified and Zoro found himself looking anywhere but at her, keeping his eyes on Luffy and watching as he broke out into a sweat that could fill a pool.

“Why did you run off?” Makino said, the words coming out simply, like she was truly curious.

“Um, well…” Luffy muttered softly, squirming around under her intense gaze. “Because, uh…”

Makino’s foot tapped against the floor and the sound seemed to echo off the walls. “You _do_ remember what you promised me, don’t you? How you wouldn’t run off anymore without telling me? I was very worried, you know?”

“I did tell you, though! Right before I left! I told you I was going!” Luffy bursted out, before slapping a hand over his traitorous mouth.

“ _Hmm?_ ” Makino hummed, and Zoro was immediately reminded of a snake hissing. “Yes, I suppose you did. But you don’t _run off_ after telling me that.”

Luffy shook and, in a flurry of movement, bowed down on the floor in a dogeza. 

“I’M SORRY!” He shouted from the floor. Zoro looked at him like he was crazy, but it was probably the only way he could save himself.

Makino stared at him for a few moments before sighing. “Alright, I forgive you. Now get off the floor, it’s dirty.”

Luffy gladly did so, jumping up in place with a wide grin on his face. The tension of the room finally dissipated and Zoro found himself heaving out a sigh of relief.

Makino patted the dirt off the boy’s shorts and said in a motherly tone, “But Luffy, don’t ever do that again. This is the first time you’ve ever been here and you could get lost.”

Luffy nodded, his head slightly bowed in shame. “Sorry, Makino. I promise I won’t.” He then picked up his head, smiling reassuringly. “I won’t get lost, though! I’ll always find you!”

Makino frowned before sighing and resigning with a soft smile. She ruffled Luffy’s hair before turning to Zoro with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry about before. You’re Luffy’s friend?”

Zoro was about to say that no, they weren’t, but the happy look on the smaller boy’s face made him rethink and shrug. Why not? It’s not like anything _bad_ could happen.

(Oh how he would want to take those words and shove them back down his throat.)

He nodded, looking at her briefly before turning away. While she wasn’t angry anymore, she still creeped him out after the whole sudden change in demeanor.

Luffy hopped over and jumped on him, clinging tightly with arms wrapped around his chest and legs around his waist. Zoro grumbled under his breath, pulling his arms out of the hold and refusing to hold him up. He didn’t push him off, though—he’d tried enough times before to know that it was a wasted effort.

Apparently his annoyance was showing on his face because Makino laughed, light and with a hand covering her mouth. She took it off a few moments later and smiled at him. Zoro relaxed somewhat.

“Zoro, was it?” She asked, and he nodded in return. “I’m Makino.”

Zoro nodded again as Luffy shuffled around and crawled up him like a lizard, finally settling on his shoulders, apparently now his favorite place. “Nice to meet you.”

“He’s my nakama!” Luffy shouted, happily hugging Zoro’s head. Zoro huffed, mumbled that again, no he wasn’t, and moved the arms away from his eyes. “He’s gonna be on my crew and we’re gonna sail out and be Pirate King!”

“ _You_ can be Pirate King. I’m gonna be the World’s Greatest Swordsman,” Zoro said, straightening his back and adjusting the shinai that were still at his waist. 

Makino chuckled. “Is that so? Well I wish you both luck.” Then she turned to look at Luffy. “It’s getting late, now. Get off of Zoro so he can go back home.”

Luffy whined. “Whaat? But I want to stay with Zoro! Besides, he won’t be able to find his way back!”

“Oi, I can go back just fine!”

Makino shook her head softly, looking at both boys with something akin to both amusement and fondness. “You can see him tomorrow, alright? We’re here for another day, after all.”

After more coaxing, Luffy finally pouted and slid off Zoro’s shoulders and onto the floor. He ran over to Makino and stood beside her, easily slipping his hand into hers. He grinned at Zoro, wide and bright with a hint of reluctance. 

“See you tomorrow, Zoro!”

Zoro nodded, giving a small wave as he turned and left the inn. 

The sun was setting over the sea and casted dark shadows over the village. The light reflected over the waters in a way that seemed alluring, beckoning to him and resonating within him in a way that he never felt before.

“Sailing out to sea, huh?”

It was quiet as he walked, and he couldn’t help thinking he missed that annoying brat already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to finally get this up! I ended up writing a longer chapter, so I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Join my discord server! https://discord.gg/B8YnWU4


	4. Strength Comes From Within

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoro looses and gains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The age Luffy encounters some of the characters in the story will be changed to fit the story, like how Zoro here is almost eight and has been with the dojo for a few years now but he joined the dojo when he was nine. It’s just to make the plot flow better for future events and I don’t want to think too hard about small details. This is all self-indulgent and I love this story very much so I’m trying to string as many events together as I can.
> 
> Also, if you’ve noticed, I changed the title just so it flows smoother. I like ‘Sunrise After Sunset’ more than ‘From Day to Night and Back Again’ better—it sounds nice and still plays on the sunset theme I have for the story. 
> 
> Warning for probably OOC Zoro, you may proceed.

The moment Luffy caught the tiniest hint of Zoro’s presence, a wave of joy crashed over him. It was small and faint, far off at the edge of his range, but like a beacon of light in the darkness. The small irrational fear he wasn’t aware he had—that his nakama didn’t exist, that everything was just his imagination and that he’d never sail with them again—suddenly disappeared and he nearly cried out in relief as he ran towards Zoro.

He raced over to the signature, breaking through the fields of wheat and weaving through trees and underbrush. When he reached a clearing in the forest, he found his first mate sitting under a waterfall and meditating, looking at peace. He didn’t bother to stop running as he leaped over the pond and tackled him into the water, laughing away with tears that threatened to slip from his eyes.

Zoro was small and soft, barely any muscle on his boyish form. His eyes were wide and he was short, Luffy himself barely up to his shoulder (and Luffy was short for his age, too). His kid self was a shock compared to his monstrous 23 year old one. There was no scar over his eye or across his chest, no proof of the experience and strength he gained out on the open waters of the sea. No evidence of the hellish training he put himself through or the deadly battles he fought, winning by the skin of his teeth. He looked small and innocent, weak even.

But he was _alive_.

His skin was warm to the touch and full of color, not cold and deathly pale. His eyes were full of light instead of that haunted look that often mirrored his own. He wasn’t scarred by the images of his crewmates being cut down in front of him, one by one, over and over again, in a horrible continuous loop. He wasn’t bleeding out on the ground, eyes shut with a weak and resigned smile on his face, welcoming death as it enveloped him.

This Zoro shouted when provoked, blushed when embarrassed, and laughed when amused. Luffy had only met Zoro for two hours and he’d seen so much more raw emotion coming from the almost eight year old than what he’d seen of his first mate in his first life. He smiled wide with all his teeth and frowned in a way that looked somewhat closer to a pout. Luffy knew he was annoying him, if the way he rolled his eyes was any indication, but he watched as it cracked into undisguised interest and amusement and saw the telltale signs of future fondness. He didn’t swat at Luffy’s hands in his hair and didn’t shout at him with the same anger and annoyance in his tone as when he first met him, shouting more now just to shout.

Luffy couldn’t wait to spend more time with him and get to know him better—his Zoro hadn’t spoken much of his past and no one had ever pushed him into telling. Maybe they’d become closer than they were before, with a bond that extended the bounds of just first mate and captain. 

As Zoro walked around the side of the mountain, trying to find the village to no avail, Luffy told him a story of one of his training trips—how he was left in a jungle and the monkeys mistook him for a fellow furry primeape. He told him about how he’d eaten only bananas (he missed his meat though) and swung from vine to vine, branch to branch, and how he’d even helped other monkeys groom themselves. He told him about Gramps’ reaction when he came back a few days later, finding his grandson swinging around a jungle naked and in the company of a troop of monkeys, all looking at him with beady black eyes, heads tilted curiously. He retold the shock and dumbfoundedness that showed on his grandfather’s face before he laughed loudly, clutching his stomach and bending over with tears in his eyes, saying that they looked alike.

Zoro had snorted, soft and quiet, then chuckled, and then broke out into a fit of laughter. He said in between breaths that he agreed with Gramps’ statement and even called out the ‘Monkey’ in his name, grinning all the while. He calmed down a bit, giggling under his breath, and Luffy smiled too, wanting to protect that carefree grin with everything he had.

This Zoro didn’t know the pain his future self had gone through, and Luffy would make sure he never would.

———

The following morning was rowdier than usual, and every morning was rowdy with Luffy. He was usually the first one up, always running around the pub and inn as he waited for breakfast, unable to stay still. Makino would bustle around the kitchen cooking meals for eight instead of two, and breakfast was eaten at one of the tables of the pub. There was always loud laughter and smiles and bad table manners, and afterwards Luffy would help her clean up for the coming day. With the recent discovery of Luffy’s nightmares, Makino noticed that Luffy was usually more subdued in the mornings after particularly uncomfortable dreams, though still energetic enough to have gone unnoticed for so long.

This morning wasn’t one of those days, though. Luffy was up first as usual and woke Makino up just as bright sunlight filtered in through their room’s windows. He was practically shaking with energy and excitement, smile wide and as bright as a small sun. Luffy jumped around on his messy bed, the mattress’ spring sending him up into the air, and begged that they go out for breakfast. Makino easily agreed, quickly tidying herself up, and left their room with Luffy latched to her arm.

She greeted the innkeep as they passed the front desk and walked out onto the street, people already moving about to get to their jobs by the port or to their own shops. She let Luffy choose where they’d eat and wasn’t very surprised when he chose barbecue. She was lucky they served breakfast there and, after multiple servings of multiple foods on the kids’ menu, Luffy slouched back in his seat, patting his stomach.

“Aah, that was good,” he grinned in satisfaction. Then he looked at Makino and smiled, sitting up straight. “Thank you for the food!”

Makino laughed. “Well, I didn’t make it, but you’re welcome.”

Luffy’s mouth opened and let out a small sound of realization as he hopped out of his seat. “I’ll go thank the cooks, then! Be right back, Makino!”

“Ah, wait, Luffy-“ She called after him, hand stretched out futilely as the doors to the kitchen swung open and then closed. She shook her head in amusement as she heard the child shout his thanks to the startled cooks before running back to their table with a wide grin. 

“Don’t run into the kitchen like that, Luffy,” Makino said, amusement clear in her voice despite her light scolding. “You’re not allowed back there.”

Luffy tilted his head innocently. “Why not?”

Makino reached over the table and softly pinched his cheek. “Because knowing you, you’d probably eat everything in the kitchen.”

The boy whined, grabbing her hand and pulling it off his cheek. “No I wouldn’t!”

She gave him a look and he turned away, eyes looking elsewhere as he pouted.

“Well… I wouldn’t eat _everything_.”

Makino chuckled as she stood up, Luffy doing the same. She took out the correct amount of beri to pay for the food, taking Luffy’s hand and thanking the staff as they left the restaurant. 

She took out the list she had written of things they needed back at Partys Bar and looked around at the shops, Luffy skipping beside her. 

“Hey, Makino!” He suddenly called, causing her to turn from her list and look down at him. “Can we go see Zoro later today?”

It took Makino a moment to recall that name as a flash of bright green hair pushed to the front of her mind. “Ah, your friend you met yesterday?”

Luffy nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! He lives in the dojo at the base of the mountain—he’s a swordsman! He’s pretty weak right now, but he’s training really hard to be the World’s Greatest Swordsman!”

“Really? And he’s going to be on your pirate crew?” Makino asked.

Again, Luffy nodded, a wide grin stretching across his face. “Yup! The Pirate King can’t have any less as the first mate of his crew! He even uses three swords! It’s _so cool!_ ”

Makino chuckled at the stars in his eyes, mildly wondering why the conversation sounded familiar. “That does sound amazing. How does he hold the third sword?”

“In his mouth!”

As Luffy kept going on about his new friend, Makino ran her errands, crossing an item off her list occasionally. She told him that they’d go see him after she finished her shopping and carried everything back to their inn room. Luffy, wanting to see him as soon as possible, ran ahead, calling back for Makino to hurry up. The bartender only laughed at his eagerness and complied, picking up her pace. 

She watched as Luffy ran around with a bright grin, joyous laughter filling the streets as he weaved through crowds and circled back around to her. He took her hand and let out a content giggle as he pointed to a few shops that could have some of the items on their list.

Makino smiled, glad that Luffy looked so happy. Luffy was a cheerful and friendly child by nature, but she’s never seen him take to someone quite as eagerly as he had to Zoro. He was clearly attached to the older green-haired boy and seemed to admire and respect him very much, if his attitude towards him was any clue. She wondered what Zoro had done to have Luffy act like that, brighter than she’d ever seen and every word spoken towards him full of fondness (maybe even nostalgia, but she didn’t know why). 

Whatever it was, when she saw him, she’d be sure to thank him.

———

Zoro woke up right before noon with a crick in his neck from his odd sleeping position, rolling on the floor as sunlight hit him in the face. He’d gotten back to the dojo at two in the morning with the sun already far behind the horizon and the moon high up in the sky. He blamed it on the maze that was Shimotsuki’s streets, then on the stupid dirt road that kept disappearing, and then the darkness of the night that wouldn’t let him see a damn thing. When he somehow found the dojo, he was tired and hungry and just wanted to sleep. He didn’t even set up his futon before he crashed onto the tatami mats and was knocked out.

He was given his usual chores around the dojo and spent an hour or so completing them after lunch. Kuina had berated him for getting back so late and saying he probably got lost. Of course, Zoro defended himself because _it wasn’t his fault, dammit_ and he ended up challenging Kuina later that day. His temper had always been short.

Kuina raised a brow, giving Zoro an unimpressed look. “I just fought you yesterday. What’s the rush?”

Zoro grit his teeth. “Just fight me! I’ll definitely win this time!”

His rival gave a mocking laugh. “You barely touched me yesterday. There’s no way you improved that quickly.”

Zoro glared, not saying anything.

Kuina huffed, crossing her arms as she stared him down. “Fine. But after you finish your chores.” She started to walk away, leaving him in the hallway, and said, “Don’t blame me if you lose again. It’s not my fault you’re still so weak.”

She disappeared around the corner and Zoro growled, kicking his cleaning supplies and knocking them over. She didn’t need to tell him that. He already knew he had so much to work on. 

He stared down the path she went, clenching his fists at his sides.

______

Everyone was gathered in the training room, ready to witness yet another defeat on Zoro’s part. The outcome was obvious, even to Zoro himself, but he had to try anyway. Over and over again, he’d be sure to get up each time. He’d come back with twice the power as before because defeat was something he had to learn from to get stronger. If he couldn’t beat his rival, he had no chance at his dream.

He and Kuina stood at the center of the room, standing opposite of each other and glaring. Zoro gripped at the two shinai in his hands, brows furrowed as he took in a deep breath and exhaled. Clearing his mind, he focused on his opponent, the surrounding murmurs fading from his hearing and his sight zoning in on Kuina and Kuina alone.

(Kuina paused at the look on Zoro’s face, the calm focus that washed over him and the sudden sharpness of his eyes. She grit her teeth as she watched him settle into his stance. He’d grown quickly in his swordsmanship, his blows fast and increasingly powerful with each duel he challenged her to. She’d gradually been applying more force into their fights, trying harder as he improved. At the rate he was going, she knew it’d only be a matter of time before he surpassed her. He was a boy after all, and she was only a girl. As time went on he’d only grow stronger while she’d get weaker, no matter what sort of training she did. For now, though, she’d win this fight and make it her 1,985th victory. She wouldn’t let him pull ahead just yet.)

Koushirou-sensei stood between them, looking them both over, before stepping back closer to the wall. Zoro only heard him initiate the duel with a _“Start!”_ before he ran at Kuina, shinai at the ready.

Kuina was quick to block his first strike, sidestepping the next swing from his second sword. His arms flew as he pushed forward, his rival blocking each one. He grit his teeth as she pushed back his shinai and slashed at him with her own, Zoro barely managing to block them. There was power behind her strikes that Zoro couldn’t help but admire, even if they were what struck him down every time. He could see the grace in which she held her sword and the skill she put into each move she made, full of purpose and intent. There was no wasted movement in her swordsmanship and it was the basis of which Zoro wanted his swords to grow on.

Zoro took the blow, stumbling backwards, before springing forward and slashing at her with both his shinai. His arms blurred in a flurry of movement as Kuina blocked and dodged. She pushed him back again and struck him, causing him to grunt as the bamboo sword hit him in the side. Zoro didn’t falter, though, and only pushed forward, dodging her advances and blocking when he could. 

He pushed her sword away and quickly brought his shinai in front of him, crossing them like an ‘X’ over his chest and swinging outwards. Kuina moved to block and barely caught the attack, staggering back in surprise at the force. Zoro grinned at her moment of hesitation and lunged, slashing faster and harder. His grin widened as he slowly started pushing her back, the attacks of his wooden sword overwhelming her. He could see that Kuina noticed it, too, if her bit lip and the sheen of sweat appearing on her forehead meant anything. 

Zoro’s left arm went up as he brought down his shinai in an attempt at a final blow when Kuina twisted her wrist, her shinai coming up from under it and disarming him. Zoro’s brows furrowed as he jumped back and put distance between them, frowning at the emptiness of his hand. He wrapped both hands around the hilt of his only sword and looked his rival in the eyes. There was a fire in them he hadn’t seen before as she glared at him, lips pulled back into a sneer. 

Like something has snapped within her, Kuina lunged at him with a shout, her sword coming down at him with undisguised fury. Zoro brought his own up to block it, arms shaking from the pressure. With speed faster than his eyes could see, she lifted her shinai from his and struck him in the gut, causing him to cry out as he flew backwards. His back slammed into the tatami matted floors and he wheezed, clutching at his middle where Kuina had hit him. His practice sword was thrown back and he pushed himself up on one arm, glaring at his rival who glared back just as fiercely. He could see her arms shaking and saw the rapid rising and falling over her chest as she breathed heavily. His own breathing was labored as he laid there, still and silent.

There was a single loud clap that snapped him back into reality and Zoro’s head perked up, tuning him back into the room. Koushirou-sensei stepped forward and declared the duel over, Kuina once again the victor. As his adrenaline left his system, Zoro felt the dull pain of the strikes he took and winced, knowing they’d bruise, especially the one on his stomach. Their audience clapped respectively as he moved to sit up and stand, ignoring the sudden sting of his stomach. As tradition, he bowed in thanks of the duel and watched as Kuina did the same. He moved to gather his scattered swords on the floor and casted his rival one last look over his shoulder, meeting her blazing eyes for a moment before walking out of the dojo without another word.

Zoro trudged to his usual training area in silence as he mulled over their duel. The outcome was the same as usual and he was disappointed with the fact but didn’t dwell on it too much. He was proud that he’d managed to overpower her, though, and forced her back, even if it was only for a few seconds. Their duel lasted only a little over two minutes but it was longer than most of their past ones, being around only twenty seconds in the beginning. Maybe he was actually improving. If he trained harder, maybe landing an actual hit on Kuina could be possible in the near future. He’d have to do a lot of training, though, and to get fast results he’d have to train as soon as he could.

So, disregarding his injuries even as the stung with each excessive movement he made, he started training. He ran around the pond a few times to work up a sweat and get his adrenaline running again before grabbing his wooden swords and swinging it at one of the rolled up bamboo mats he had set up. He struck the target over and over, his arm straining from the effort, already tired from the earlier duel.

The thwacking sounds of his shinai on mat and his heaving breaths and grunts filled his ears. The waterfall crashing into the pond and the wind in the trees was background noise that filled the otherwise quiet clearing along with the sounds of his strenuous training. Minutes went on as he repetitively struck the mat, his arms burning.

The sound of a twig snapping paused his movements.

Stepping out from some bushes, Zoro watched as the boy he met yesterday walked into the clearing with that easy grin of his.

“Yo,” Luffy said, and Zoro’s eyes narrowed.

“What are you doing here?” He asked as he straightened and let his arms fall to his sides. 

Luffy’s smile didn’t leave his face as he simply said, “I watched the fight.”

Instantly, Zoro’s skeptical gaze turned into a glare as he tensed and prepared for the oncoming insults. He wouldn’t let anyone berate him just because he lost, even if it was his 1,985th defeat. If he so much as tried to make fun of him… 

His hands clenched around the hilts of his swords. “So? What do you want?”

If he noticed the defensive tone in his voice, Luffy didn’t say anything, only walking up to him and stopping a few feet away. Looking up, his grin widened.

“Zoro’s not as weak as I thought.”

Zoro paused at that, faltering in his resolve as he blinked twice at the boy. That was the last thing he thought would come out of the brat’s blunt mouth. The kid never minced his words.

“..What?”

Luffy’s arms came up behind his neck in an easygoing gesture as he rocked on his feet. “I was wrong. You’re not weak.”

“Wha-” Zoro said, his brain short circuiting for a moment. “You saw my duel—what do you mean I’m _not_ weak?” Really, what was with this kid? Did he really watch his fight? Any other person who saw it would immediately think he was weak. Not that he _was_ weak but… _still_.

“Well, alright, maybe you _are_ a bit weak,” Luffy said and yeah, that’s what Zoro had been expecting, but he continued, “but you’re not weak where it matters. So you’re not as weak as I thought you were.”

Zoro’s brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Luffy stepped closer and pointed at him, his tiny finger landing right over Zoro’s heart. “You’re strong right here. You don’t give up and keep getting stronger just to beat that girl. You keep losing but you keep getting back up, and you’re even training right now, right after you lost!” Luffy’s grin widened. “It’s cool!”

He lifted his finger and Zoro stared dumbly down at his chest. He looked into the boy’s deep black eyes and noticed the sincerity in them.

“Giving up is for losers,” Luffy said, putting his hands on his hips, “but since you haven’t given up, you’re a winner, too!”

Zoro stared at him, mouth parted in wonder as he looked at the smaller boy standing in front of him. He was only five years old, two years younger than him, and here he was saying stupid stuff just to cheer him up. He didn’t know he even _needed_ cheering up until he opened his dumb mouth. 

Nobody had ever believed in him as strong as Luffy had, and this is the second time he did it too. He’d been beaten down over and over again and the only thing anyone ever wondered was why he kept standing back up. He was faced with a wall he couldn’t climb and people sat back and watched as he struggled to get a hand over the ledge, to peek over the other side. This boy gave him a single push, and he already felt stronger.

Zoro grinned, and Luffy grinned back.

(Without either of their knowledge, a bond was formed that day; stronger than it had been as nakama, far stronger than just captain and first mate.)

Luffy stepped back and pulled his hands up in front of his chest, clenching them into fists. His grin turned sharper as he settled into a semi crouch saying,

“Zoro, let’s spar.”

Zoro raised his brows as he finally noticed the scars on the kid’s fists. They were thick jagged lines that crossed over each other, spanning over his fingers and knuckles. 

“How’d you get those?” He asked, gripping his shinai and settling into his usual stance.

Luffy grinned. “I punched a rock.”

Zoro barked out a laugh. “Punched a rock? Well you are an idiot, so I’m not really surprised.”

Luffy pouted at that. “Don’t underestimate me! I’ll have you know I cracked that rock!”

Zoro’s grin widened. “Really?” He crossed his swords in front of him and Luffy’s sharp grin stretched over his lips once again. “Don’t you think going up against weapons barehanded is unfair?”

Dark eyes flashed. “Nah.”

They lunged towards each other, meeting in the middle with wood against flesh. Their grins never faded as they lashed out at each other, fists and blades flying. It was less graceful than his duel with Kuina, more like a brawl between drunk men who fought just to fight, not defeat.

Luffy would punch and Zoro would swing to block it, sticking out his other shinai to strike him in the gut. The boy took the hit with a grunt and used his free fist to knock it away. He punched Zoro in the face and they both jumped back for a moment before diving back in.

It carried on for minutes, each boy getting a hit on the other. Dirty tricks were used, a feint to the eye or an exploit to a sore spot, but neither minded. They swung, they striked, he punched, and he sliced. All the while they were laughing, fighting freely and having fun. Zoro had fought so many people before, Kuina almost two thousand times, but none of them gave him the same kind of feeling as this spar with Luffy. He was either stronger than someone or he was weaker; never an inbetween. 

_So this is how it feels to fight an equal._

Or, at least that’s what he thought until the bear showed up.

———

Honestly, Luffy didn’t expect it at all. One moment he was blocking Zoro’s shinai with his arms and the next a giant bear comes out of the bushes and roars in their faces.

Luffy blamed Zoro. The spar was way too fun and he got distracted. His Observation Haki was all channeled into sensing his next move, and since he didn’t have a real sparring partner up until that moment he never really trained that aspect of his haki. Still, you’d _think_ they’d be able to notice a bear sneaking up behind them, but that clearly wasn’t the case.

The bear wasn’t really that big, the one in the forests of Mount Colubo was at least three times its size. Luffy guessed it was one of the normaler bears of the world—Luffy had never seen one since he was always fighting abnormally large animals in his home island’s forest and all the other islands Gramps took him to were filled with weird and big creatures, too. Plus, back when he was sailing the Grand Line, there were even weirder animals he’d seen—like the dinosaurs from Little Garden, the bunny things from Drum, the weird human-faced lion things from Impel Down, and the talking animals from Zou that could electrocute people. 

Seeing normal things was kinda… boring.

Zoro flinched back as the bear lunged at them, and Luffy quickly got between them, grabbing the bear’s claw as it tried to swing at him. He pushed the claw back and shouted over his shoulder at Zoro, not taking his eyes off the bear.

“Move back! Don’t get in it’s range!”

The bear was easily stronger than Zoro, surpassing him in raw strength by a large margin. If Zoro got hit by a full blow, he could be sent flying and receive a lot of damage. Luffy didn’t doubt his durability, it was one of Zoro’s defining strengths after all, but any normal (or slightly abnormal) kid could get fatally injured from a bear’s attack. He was reminded of a day, long before his journey, where he tried to fight a bear by himself and almost died because of it, Ace having to run home to the bandit hideout with him bleeding out on his back.

But Luffy was stronger now. Bears were the least of his worries.

So he lunged to the side as the bear attempted to pounce on him, running in the opposite direction of Zoro who had listened to him and stepped back. The bear stood to its hind legs, doubling in it’s height and towering over Luffy. That didn’t stop him from jumping towards it, watching it open its mouth full of sharp teeth and preparing to crush his smaller body with it’s powerful jaw. Then, almost instantly, black crawled up Luffy’s fist to his elbow and he swung hard across the bear’s face, striking it in the head and knocking it off its feet. The bear fell back, knocked out, and hit the floor with a heavy thud.

Luffy landed lightly on his feet and a huge grin split on his face. 

“HAH! I told Gramps I could beat up a bear! Wait till he hears about this!” He shouted, snickering in glee.

He could feel eyes burning holes into his back and turned, watching as Zoro stood there with wide eyes and mouth agape, looking from Luffy to the bear and back again. Luffy had never seen Zoro looking so surprised before and felt like bursting into laughter then and there.

He knew his first mate would be embarrassed if he did, though, so Luffy held it in for his nakama’s sake. “What?” He asked, amusement clear in his voice.

Zoro’s mouth flopped open and closed like a fish for a few seconds and it was getting harder for Luffy to keep his laugh in. Zoro visibly swallowed and said, “You just knocked that bear out. With one punch.”

Luffy nodded. “Yeah.”

Zoro’s face was carefully blank for a moment before rage overtook it and he hissed at him. “So you’ve been holding back this whole time?!”

Luffy blinked, confused, before Zoro’s words slammed into him full force and he felt like slapping himself. Zoro absolutely _hated_ it when people went easy on him—how could he forget that? He just watched Luffy defeat a bear with a single punch while he kept the same pace with the swordsman-in-training throughout their spar. Even Zoro knew he wasn’t strong enough to defeat a bear with a single strike, so there was no way they were at equal strength.

Luffy paled and waved his hands rapidly in protest. “Wha- no! I wasn’t holding back at all!” He didn’t make eye contact with the older boy as his lips jutted out and he started sweating. “It was, uh, a lucky shot! Yeah, that!”

Zoro growled, not buying it at all. “You’re lying! You’re so damn obvious! Why were you holding back?!”

Luffy flailed in response. “I really wasn’t holding back, okay? I was using all of my strength against you! Using haki would just be unfair so I didn’t!”

“What’s haki?” Zoro asked, tone still low and hurt. Luffy calmed down somewhat, guilty that he made Zoro feel betrayed. He lifted his arm and filled it with Armament Haki, watching as his first mate’s eyes widened.

“This is Armament Haki. It’s what I used to knock that bear out in one go,” Luffy explained, mulling over his next words. He tried to remember what Rayleigh told him all those years ago when he was still learning Haki from his mentor. “It enhances your physical strength and makes a sort of armor, too. It weakens if you use it too much, though. I’m kinda working on that right now.”

“Woah…” Zoro said as he stepped closer, touching his arm when Luffy offered it. “It feels like steel…”

Luffy laughed. “Yeah. My Armament Haki’s pretty weak right now, though. It only lasts for a minute or two before it gives out. And if I’m punching a particularly large rock it breaks or doesn’t do anything.”

Luffy watched as Zoro raised his sword and swung it down hard on his haki covered arm, the bamboo shinai breaking in two as it crashed over his arm, splinters flying and falling to the ground. Luffy blinked at the suddenness of the action before lowering his arm and retracting his haki. 

“Oops. Sorry,” he said, and Zoro only stared at the half of his sword still left in his hands. 

Snapping out of it, Zoro blinked too and shook his head. “It’s fine. We’ve got tons of spares. I can just get another one later.”

Zoro looked back at Luffy’s arm which had the Armament Haki before and then looked into Luffy’s eyes, his own dark orbs burning with determination. 

“Can I do that? That haki thing?”

Luffy grinned. “Yeah! Anyone can use haki! Haki is just willpower so everyone has it in them, most people just don’t know it or don’t know how to use it,” he explained. “There are three types of haki; Armament, Observation, and Conqueror’s. I already told you about Armament, but it can also be used to hit Logia Devil Fruit users since normal attacks would usually go right through them. And Observation-“

“Wait, wait! Devil Fruits? What are you talking about?” Zoro said, interrupting him.

Luffy frowned. “Haven’t you heard of them?”

“I have, but they’re just myths, aren’t they?”

Luffy shook his head. “Nope! They’re real! There are all sorts of Devil Fruits out there with crazy powers!” Then Luffy took on a somewhat thoughtful look. “I forgot most people in the Blues don’t know about them.”

“They’re actually real?” Zoro asked, eyes wide. Then they narrowed and he looked at Luffy skeptically. “How do I know you’re not lying?”

The younger boy uncharacteristically deadpanned. “Do I look like someone who can lie to you?”

The both stared at each other for a few seconds before Zoro huffed. “Nah.”

Luffy giggled. “Yeah, I can’t lie. Everyone tells me I’m way too obvious. You said it earlier, too.”

Zoro rubbed his nose. “I did, huh.”

Luffy grinned again and went back to explaining haki. “Well anyway, Observation Haki lets you sense people’s presences and dodge attacks easier. You can even sense people’s emotions or their strength! And in really advanced cases, you can even predict the future! It’s really handy—though it also gets weaker like Armament when you use it too much.”

“Then there’s Conqueror’s Haki. You can’t train yourself to have Conqueror's Haki—you have to be born with it and it’s really rare. It’s basically, ah,” Luffy said, trying to remember Rayleigh’s exact words, ‘“it’s basically your willpower in a manifested form and you can use it to overpower others!” Geez, his head was hurting now. “I have Conqueror’s Haki and it’s cool, too! I can make a bunch of people pass out! It’s funny!”

Zoro’s face was blank but Luffy could tell he was thinking hard about something. His first mate let out a sigh. “That’s… it sounds like anyone who can use haki is really strong.”

Luffy nodded. “Most haki users are in the Grand Line, specifically the New World.”

“New World?”

“Yeah. There are two parts of the Grand Line—Paradise and the New World. Paradise is the first half and it’s called ‘Paradise’ since it’s so much safer compared to the New World,” Luffy said, humming thoughtfully. “All the really really strong guys are in the New World, but there are lots of strong guys in Paradise, too.”

Zoro was staring down at the sword he had left, clenching and unclenching his hand around the hilt. “They’re all in the Grand Line…” He muttered, soft and contemplative.

Then he looked up and straightened his back, looking directly at Luffy. “If I went to the Grand Line, I could fight all those strong people?”

Grinning, Luffy nodded, and a similar grin slowly spread across Zoro’s lips.

“Then, you’re sailing out one day, right? When that time comes, think you can take me with you?”

Luffy’s smile stretched impossibly wide as he laughed, light and utterly happy. “Silly Zoro! You’re already nakama! Of course you’re coming!”

———

“Hey Zoro, why don’t you use Santouryuu?”

Zoro blinked at the question. They were walking back from his training area and to the dojo, both covered in some scratches and dirt and bruised here or there, but they were both smiling. Sparring with Luffy was fun and Zoro wanted to do it more often.

“You know about Santouryuu, too, huh? Can’t say I’m surprised anymore…”

Luffy snickered a bit but waited for his answer. Zoro ran a thumb over his bamboo sword as he thought about the question. Around the first year of his training at the dojo and challenging Kuina, Zoro used to use Santouryuu against her but failed every time. He figured that he wasn't ready to use it yet and it would be a disgrace to the sword if he tried to and only continued to mess it up. No one else used the three sword style so he was technically the founder, and he didn’t want to cast shame upon it before he could properly use it. So he decided that he’d only be worthy to use a third sword if he could defeat Kuina with just two. It’s been a long time since then, though, and he hardly made any improvement.

Glancing towards Luffy, he shrugged. “I’m not ready for it. I won't start using it until I finally beat Kuina.”

Luffy hummed in understanding but pouted anyway. “That’s too bad. I really wanted to see it.”

Zoro smirked and trapped the smaller boy in a headlock, rustling jet black hair with his fist as Luffy squawked. “Guess you’ll have to wait a bit longer, you impatient tiny captain.”

Luffy wiggled around in his hold half-heartedly before he started laughing, Zoro doing the same moments later. He didn’t know how it happened but somehow he’d grown attached to the kid. He knew him for less than a day but it seemed like they knew each other for far longer than that. It was so easy to get along with Luffy, like slipping a hand into a perfect glove. It was so easy and comfortable that it was unnatural, but Zoro couldn’t be bothered to care much about it. He was happier than he’d felt in a while and didn’t feel so alone anymore.

He would miss him when he left.

Zoro paused slightly, blinking at the thought. _That’s right,_ he thought, _he’s leaving later today, isn’t he?_ Luffy was only visiting Shimotsuki for two days so that he and Makino could get supplies for the pub she ran. Luffy was going to leave in just a few hours.

Zoro still wanted to learn from him. He wanted to learn haki and hear more about the Grand Line and Devil Fruits and strong people and all these things he didn’t know but Luffy did. He didn’t know how Luffy knew them even though he was younger than him and from the same Blue, but Luffy _did_ know and Zoro wasn’t sure he’d ever hear them from someone else. Plus, Luffy would only get stronger while he would probably stay the same, maybe improve a bit but still stay the same. He’d have no haki and he’d be so far behind Luffy in strength.

He had to be strong. For his dream.

~~_For his nakama._ ~~

But he still hadn’t defeated Kuina yet and there were things he still had to learn at the dojo. 

_What’s the point of looking ahead if you can’t get past this one wall..?_

Luffy would have to go to his home island and Zoro would have to stay on his. He still had things he needed to do...

When the idea came to mind, he blinked again and set Luffy down, turning to look at him as they continued on their way back to the dojo.

“Luffy,” he said, getting the boy’s attention easily. 

“Yeah?” He asked, head tilting curiously.

“Give me six months. I’ll defeat Kuina by then.”

“Really?”

Zoro nodded. “In six months, I’ll beat her and you come back here and take me to your home island. You can train me in haki there.” 

It didn’t really sound like a suggestion but Luffy didn’t seem to notice, only smiling and hopping eagerly. “Zoro’ll come to Foosha? Really?! I can’t wait!” He pumped his fist in the air excitedly. “Beat her quickly then, Zoro! I’ll definitely come get you!”

Zoro grinned and watched as the boy stopped for a moment, counting slowly on his fingers and murmuring to himself.

“What’s wrong? He asked.

“...March… April…… May..? Wait, so six months from today is May, right?!” Luffy asked, eyes wide as he quickly turned his head to Zoro.

Wondering what he was getting so worked up about, Zoro thought about it. It was the beginning of November now, so in six months…

Raising a brow, Zoro nodded. “Yeah. In six months it’d be May.”

A bright, blinding smile split across Luffy’s face and Zoro almost had to squint at the radiance of it all. Luffy let out a happy squeal of joy as he jumped and pounced on Zoro, making him let out a small _oophf_. He was trapped in a hug similar to the one from yesterday as the tiny captain looked up at him with literal stars in his eyes.

“My birthday’s in May! May 5th! Aaah, this is great! I’ll come get you on my birthday! It’ll be the best birthday gift ever!” 

He continued to gush happily about wanting his birthday to come sooner and about Zoro coming to see his home village. Zoro listened to him drone on with a small smile on his face as he hoisted him up onto his shoulders.

Suddenly, a realization came to him and almost made him stumble.

_Isn’t it my birthday today?_

November 11th. He remembered passing the calendar earlier while doing his chores but only in passing. Over the date was a big circle in red with the word’s ‘Zoro’s Birthday’ in the center. He hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, the words and meaning not really processing, but now it hit him full force.

He was eight years old now.

He was beaten by Kuina yet again, his 1,985th loss, but he made a friend and sparring buddy out of a dumb brat who came out of no where. 

He was technically a pirate now, too, and his captain was sitting on his shoulders and bouncing like a baby on a sugar high.

Treading down the familiar terrain of the mountain side to the dojo, Zoro grinned softly.

What a weird birthday gift.

———

When they reached the front of the dojo, everyone suddenly jumped out and yelled ‘Happy Birthday!,’ startling Zoro. Luffy thought the face he made was funny—he really was more open as a kid! Of course, Luffy wasn’t too surprised—he could sense a whole bunch of people crowding around the entrance but he didn’t know why. The real surprise was that it was Zoro’s birthday. How come he didn’t tell him?

“You’re so mean, Zoro!” Luffy whined as he pounded his fists on his first mate’s head. “Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday?”

“Stop hitting me,” Zoro grumbled as he recovered from the shock and grabbed Luffy’s hands. “I forgot it was my birthday.”

“How do you forget your birthday? It’s like, the one day nobody forgets!”

“I was distracted,” Zoro said, rolling his eyes. 

People came up to swarm him and Luffy jumped off his shoulders, not really liking the crowdedness. Zoro gave him a helpless look and Luffy laughed at his expense. The other glared and gave him an ‘I’ll get you later’ look as he got swallowed up by the crowd. Luffy only laughed harder.

  
There was a party and games and food which apparently Makino helped make while they were gone. People looked at him weird when he was eating but he was used to it and ignored it, opting to laugh with Zoro and steal food off his plate. 

They only stayed for an hour or so before Makino pulled him out, saying they had to leave if they wanted to get back before nighttime. She already checked out at the inn and had all their things in the boat they took, so all they had to do was get to the port.

Luffy complained, saying he wanted to stay longer. He found one of his crewmates and he didn’t want to leave him just yet. Granted, they were going to see each other in another six months instead of twelve years but _still._

Makino gave him the _look_ though, so he grudgingly went.

They were walking down the path, the dojo already far behind them, when Luffy felt a presence appear beside him and he turned, mouth agape.

“Yo. Were you just gonna leave like that?” Zoro asked, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

Luffy grinned widely. “Zoro! When did you get there!” His eyes squinted. “I didn’t sense you at all. Are you sure you don’t have haki?”

Zoro bonked him lightly on the head. “You were probably just an idiot and lost focus or something. I think I’d know if I had haki or not.”

Luffy shrugged. “Sometimes people don’t.”

Makino laughed on his other side. “Hello, Zoro. Ditching the party?”

Zoro huffed in embarrassment. “No, the party’s fine.. I just don’t like people crowding me.”

The green-haired boy groaned as Luffy started crawling up him again, sitting on his shoulders. Luffy giggled and poked Zoro’s cheeks. “Zoro’s shy?”

“I’m not shy!” Zoro growled, face flushed. “I’m allowed to leave if I want to!”

“Now, now, he’s just teasing you,” Makino said, a small smile on her lips. “Are you going to see us off at the port then?”

Zoro nodded. “Yeah.”

Luffy perked up, remembering something. “Oh yeah! Makino, in six months Zoro’s gonna come live with us!”

Makino turned to him questioningly. “What do you mean?”

“He’s gonna beat that Kuino girl and live with us so he can get stronger! It’s gonna be fun!” Luffy said, giggling in excitement.

“Her name’s Kuina, not Kuino,” Zoro said, exasperated. He looked at Makino. “I hope that’s okay with you. Luffy’s strong so I want to train with him, too.”

Makino hummed. “I don’t mind as long as you help around, but have you talked about this with your sensei yet?”

Zoro shook his head. “Not yet. I will later, though. I think he’ll be fine with it.”

Makino frowned a bit but agreed anyway. “Well, if you’re sure. I really don’t mind if you do stay with us.” She smiled at Zoro. “Luffy likes you, and I think you’re a nice boy, too. I’m glad he met you.”

Zoro blinked at that and Makino went on. “Luffy is very friendly with others but he doesn’t have any friends his age back at our village. It’s nice to see him having fun with other children, so thank you for being his friend.”

Zoro blushed and looked away. “Uh, yeah, sure.”

Luffy laughed at him as they kept walking to the port. The sun was still up in the sky but would set in a few hours. After minutes of walking, Luffy could see their boat floating on the water and got off Zoro’s shoulders as they neared. Makino stepped on the boat to check that they had all their things and Luffy rounded on Zoro, trapping him in a hug. The older boy tensed in surprise before slowly relaxing and awkwardly hugging back.

Luffy looked up at him with a bright grin. “You’ll definitely win! I know it!”

Zoro gave him a lopsided smile. “Yeah. Thanks.” He rustled Luffy’s hair gently and said, “When you come back, let’s spar again.”

Luffy nodded enthusiastically, leaning into the touch. “Sure! Sparring with Zoro’s fun!”

He heard Makino call him from the fishing boat and gave Zoro one last squeeze before hopping onto the deck. He waved at Zoro as he felt the boat pulling out from the port and grinned.

“See you, Zoro! We’ll be back!”

From the port, Zoro waved back, grinning wide in promise. “Right! You better be stronger the next time I see you, too! It’d be a shame if I beat you so quickly!”

“Oi!” Luffy shouted, leaning over the railing. “I’m definitely gonna get stronger! Worry about yourself! You better not disappoint me!”

“Hah! As if!”

Zoro’s voice gradually faded as they sailed out of sight and all Luffy was left with was the sound of the waves in his ears. He smiled as he looked up at the clouds overhead, already impatient for their next meeting. He ran to the bow of the ship and pointed out to the horizon, eyes brighter and full of life.

“Set sail for Foosha Village!”

———

(Zoro trains harder as the snow starts to fall. He makes another promise which he vows to keep.

Three months later, Kuina dies.

Three months later, Luffy meets his brothers for the first time.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luffy and Zoro’s relationship in canon is one of my favorite things about One Piece. They just get each other and always have each other’s backs. Zoro is undoubtedly loyal to both Luffy and the crew and he knows when he has to step up and take control because their captain can’t. It’s amazing and I really wanted to emphasize that here in this story.
> 
> I also just wanna say before someone asks—if Luffy really does time travel in canon I feel like he would definitely just accept it and roll with it. Luffy’s the type who takes things head on and I think he’d come to the same crazy conclusion as my story’s Luffy without a second thought. Most people wouldn’t normally think of something as outrageous as time travel when they end up in a strange but familiar place, but then again Luffy isn’t ‘most people.’
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Things are heating up and I can’t wait to write out more! You’re welcome to join my discord for sneak peaks and updates for the fic and talk with me about anything One Piece or even the fic itself! Hope to see you there! https://discord.gg/B8YnWU4


	5. Accident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Luffy trains and, later, makes a mistake. Makino, of course, worries.
> 
> Alternatively, 
> 
> Goddammit, Luffy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! It was a bit harder to write the beginning of the chapter but hopefully the update will make up for it! Enjoy!!

After seeing Zoro, Luffy only got more motivated to train. There was no doubt that Zoro was going to get stronger in the next six months and Luffy would have to train harder to meet him in the middle. Of course, his ban on training still hadn’t been lifted (there was still a day or so left) but Luffy was impatient and didn’t want to wait.

He trained subtly, trying not to show Makino what he was doing. He didn’t want her to extend the punishment so he integrated his training into the things he did around Partys Bar. He kept his Observation Haki out as usual (it became somewhat of a habit since time traveling), trying to keep it going for as long as he could, but now he would try to enhance it instead of just extending and enduring it. He wanted to be able to pick up smaller movements and presences. It helped a few times with catching falling plates and glasses around the pub.

He used the barrels of booze as weights for physical strength training, running up and down the stairs from the basement a few times when Makino wasn’t looking. He also did sets of push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and other exercises he used to see Zoro do back on the Merry and Sunny in his room. They were easy to slip in and he kept doing them even after the punishment was lifted. 

Partys Bar was busier than Luffy had seen it in a while. Quite a few tables were taken up and both he and Makino were running around to tend to all the different customers. Luffy couldn’t stay to chat with tables for long since he was almost constantly on the move but there were tons of people to talk to so he didn’t really mind. Makino practically radiated joy as she served beers and sake and cooked at the back. Luffy always grinned whenever she handed him something to serve to a table.

He let out a startled yelp as he almost dropped the mug Makino had handed him, the amber liquid sloshing around dangerously. He steadied it in his hands, standing still as he watched the alcohol settle. Luffy let out a sigh of relief and giggled.

“Shishishi! Whoops!”

Makino, who’d been watching, also let out a sigh of relief. She shook her head at the boy, half scoldingly, half in amusement. “Be more careful, Luffy.”

Luffy only grinned, apologizing shortly before moving to the table at the back of the pub where Old Man Yamo was sitting. Old Man Yamo wasn’t actually old—he was only in his late thirties—but he had white hair so Luffy liked to tease him about it. The man was a fisherman and a regular at the pub who liked to treat himself every once in a while, which were honestly more times than it should’ve been. If Luffy cared all that much, he would’ve wondered how the man wasn’t an alcoholic by now. Old Man Yamo was burly and large from days of hauling fish nets through waters but a friendly guy and good company, especially when he was drunk. He and Luffy would chat sometimes and talk about random things, occasionally laughing together about something going on in the village.

Luffy reached over and pushed the mug of beer onto the table, peeking over the edge as the fisherman grabbed the handle and took a large gulp of the alcohol. He swallowed audibly and smacked his lips with a contented sigh, taking a large hand and ruffling Luffy’s hair.

“Gyahah, thanks, kid! Just what I needed!” Old Man Yamo exclaimed loudly. He looked around the bar with a grin. “Pretty rowdy today, huh?”

Luffy nodded, a similar grin taking over his face. “Makino’s really happy! And there’s a lot of people to talk to so it’s fun!”

“I bet! Makino must be havin’ a heyday with all this business!” He took another swing of his drink. “Seen you scurryin’ around, too. You’re pretty fast for a little kid; make a good waiter. My kids are no-goods when it comes to helpin’ around the house, so Makino’s pretty lucky!”

Luffy beamed with pride. He liked helping Makino with the pub. He didn’t know why he didn’t before- it was fun! But then again, his old five year old self was more interested in running amok in the village than staying in one area. That still hadn’t changed, really, but Luffy knew how to put others before himself now, and he didn’t mind doing it either.

“My kids are still cuter, though,” Old Man Yamo said, cutting through Luffy’s thoughts. The boy blinked and furrowed his brows, puffing out his cheeks.

“I’m not cute! I’m a man!”

Old Man Yamo laughed, the type that comes from the belly when you think something’s really funny. Luffy scowled but it came out looking like a pout. The man only laughed harder.

“Nothing’s wrong with being cute! And you’re a kid so of course you are! Not as cute as my squirts but you get the point,” he said, grin stretched wide. “Besides, there’re plenty of people who agree with me, I’m sure.”

Luffy frowned and was about to open his mouth to retort but Makino’s shout carried over the multiple voices in the room, grabbing his attention.

“Luffy! Could you come here, please?”

The boy turned and shouted back. “Okay!”

He looked back at Old Man Yamo and stuck his tongue out at the man—who only lifted his mug to his lips in amusement—before running back to Makino behind the bar counter. She looked down at him and smiled, taking a tray from the counter and bending down a bit to hand it to him. He looked at the steaming bowls of stew with interest and had to physically restrain himself from digging in then and there.

“Could you give that to the table with those two girls over there?” Makino asked, pointing to a table near the front of the pub. Luffy spotted them chatting animatedly with each other and nodded back at Makino. She placed two glasses of water on the tray and thanked him as he walked off.

“Be careful with that!” She called after him and he shouted back in confirmation. 

Laughter rang throughout the pub and Luffy had to dodge multiple stray limbs and chairs that would suddenly pop up in front of him during his slow walk. He’d spilled a piping hot stew on himself once before and he definitely was not eager to experience that again. Plus, it’d be a waste of food and after living in Sanji’s presence for so long Luffy had that certain aspect of the cook’s personality rub off on him, that you shouldn’t ever waste food.

His Observation training was a huge help in helping him prevent that, at least.

He easily side stepped an arm that could have knocked him to the floor, stepped over multiple feet that could have tripped him, ducked under the swing of an elbow from an excited drunk, and stopped a few mugs and glasses that could have fallen to the floor from the excessive banging of fists on tables with his shoulder.

Luffy stopped as a fork shot down in front of him and embedded itself in the wooden floorboards.

“Haha, whoops! Sorry about that!”

Luffy blinked, stared down at the fork, looked around the room, and then shrugged and continued walking. 

After reaching the table safely he set the tray down and gave both girls their respective stews and waters. He couldn’t reach very far across the table, though, so he just pushed them as close as he could. The girls giggled as he finished and he stepped back with a smile, tucking the tray under his tiny arms.

“Makino’s food is really good, so I hope you like it!” He said, and the girls thanked him. As he started walking back, he heard their voices gush not-so-quietly.

“He’s adorable! Like a tiny waiter!”

“Yeah, he’s so cute! I wanna hug him!”

Luffy’s face flushed in embarrassment as he turned, fists clenched and lips pulled into a pout. “I’m not cute!”

The girls only cooed.

———

When Makino finally allowed him to go back to his training Luffy almost shot out of Partys Bar in excitement. He was literally bouncing around the pub for the whole morning and the few customers they had asked after him curiously.

“I’m gonna train!” He responded enthusiastically.

(They didn’t know what he meant by ‘train’ but assumed something simple, like running laps or push-ups and curls, and the thought had amused them. Throwing punches at rocks and fighting wild animals hadn’t even crossed their minds.)

He ate breakfast quickly and lunch quicker, sped around the pub tending to customers determinedly before springing off to the forest after Makino gave him the go. She watched him disappear into the underbrush with a fond but exasperated sigh. 

For a while Luffy ran around the base of the mountain for no other reason than to simply run. While he hadn’t disliked staying inside and helping in the bar, he’d missed the freedom he had outside. There was nothing like running through a forest, dodging trees and hopping over rocks and greenery, fumbling over fallen leaves and laughing all the while. Cold wind brushed against his face and Makino had forced him into some long sleeves for the weather, though begrudgingly allowed him to keep his open-toed sandals and shorts after his vehement refusal to wear proper shoes and pants.

Luffy could tell it was going to snow soon. In a few weeks the land would be covered in white fluff and smoke would come from the chimneys of the houses in Foosha. He’d see similar smoke coming from behind Goa’s tall walls and the lights of fires in the shabby huts belonging to the residents of the Gray Terminal. Some trees were already almost bare, a few brown leaves still hanging stubbornly to some branches (save for the pines that lined the forest and their evergreen leaves), and some animals would soon start to hibernate.

Winters were quiet seasons, calm compared to the loud summers or bright springs. There were no leaves swaying in the wind or animals scurrying in the underbrush, instead hiding under the snow and waiting for the season to pass. Winters could be fun; playing in the snow, making snowmen and having snowball fights and eating tasty seasonal foods. But to Luffy, it was also a season of quiet moments, like the rare ones he had where he’d contemplate his dream, his journey, and everything in between. Where he wasn’t so loud and wasn’t so overbearing as he would be in summer or spring or autumn. There was always something about falling snow or the gray winter skies that calmed him like the ocean’s waves or a starry night sky. Made him fall quiet and take in everything around him.

Once upon a time Luffy hated the quiet. It was boring and not fun at all. The moment a room fell silent it would only take a few seconds and a loud obnoxious shout from him to break it and completely annoy the hell out of everyone, which was fine by him because it was funny and anything but quiet. But he changed after Marineford, after Ace’s death and the shock that followed. He grew up in a way that wasn’t all that visible on the surface, something you couldn’t see unless you looked underneath the smiles and loud personality. He’d matured after the loss and grew mentally to become the sort of person who would never allow that same thing to happen ever again. 

He’d fall silent at times when he was alone, most times before he fell asleep, his eyes open and staring unseeingly at the ceiling above him. At first it was hard, being left with those thoughts and doubts and fears for the future, but he’d pushed them to the side and focused on getting stronger, on protecting his crew and having fun and meeting his goal. The silence then turned into something more relaxing, calming in its peacefulness that left Luffy to just appreciate how far they’d come and think back on the obstacles they’d overcome. The quiet moments were far and few between, but not always unwelcome and unwanted.

Luffy eventually found a nice clearing to stop at, the ground covered in warm colored leaves and surrounded by almost naked trees. A lazy stream sat at a corner of the clearing with a small cliff hanging over it, the underbrush thick with dark green leaves just on top of it. 

He stood in the middle of the clearing and wiped his forehead of the small bit of sweat that formed there from his run. His heart was still beating quickly in his chest from the excitement and a grin took over his face as he began training.

He started off with stretching first. His arms crossed over his chest as he stretched the muscles in them, then did the same in his legs, twisted his torso a few times, and did some quick squats. He already had his run so he moved on to physical strength, kicking a loose boulder from the side of the cliff and hauling it around for an hour or two. His mind wandered as he did the task, pushing the boulder around the forest and feeling the burning of his muscles in his legs, arms, and chest. After a while he stopped and made his way back to the clearing, taking longer since he didn’t remember where it was. 

There was no break in between as he left the boulder in the center of the clearing and transitioned to his Haki training. He started with Armament and used the boulder (that was twice his size if not bigger) as his training dummy. Metallic black crawled up his arms and he punched the boulder once and checked the damage dealt. There was a small dent the size of his fist on the hard stony surface but otherwise no real harm was done. 

Luffy frowned in frustration and released a barrage of swings on the boulder, occasionally throwing in haki-coated kicks and headbutts. The only way to train haki was to keep using it, after all. That and real battles. Luffy knew from experience that fighting for your life was the best way to develop haki. It grew and evolved under stress and there was nothing like life threatening encounters to give exactly that.

A while later a punch sent a deep crack running across the surface of the rock which then spread out into a web of thinner, longer cracks. The boulder shook and crumbled, falling to a pile of rubble at his feet. Luffy wiped the sweat from his face and let his haki fade from his arms. His Armament Haki wasn’t ideal, but at least it was improving—slowly, but improving nonetheless. His current way of training wouldn't cut it, though, since it would take way too long to get his haki to a level he was comfortable with. Luffy wasn’t known for being all too patient, after all.

Then there was Observation Haki which he was training in one aspect already. He constantly kept a steady flow of the haki out for as long as he could, stretching it out as far as he was able to extend the range and endured the mental strain. He worked on enhancing the haki’s ability to detect presences and movements, feeling the auras of multiple animals scurrying about in the underbrush around him. 

There also was the aspect of Observation that helped out the most in fights, alerting him to oncoming attacks that he could dodge or block. The most practice he’d gotten with that side of his haki was avoiding flying limbs and utensils from drunk customers, and the one time he really had a chance to use it was in his spar with Zoro. His haki was so weak at the time that he could only sense a few attacks and even then it came too late and he’d already been hit without having a chance to react. 

Back when Luffy was still training with Rayleigh on Rusukaina, the man had hit him repeatedly with an Armament coated stick while he was blindfolded to train his Observation Haki. He wouldn’t even let him eat until he managed to dodge a hundred times, which was totally unfair but managed to motivate him at least. The animal friends he’d made on the island helped him train, too, and he eventually managed to get the basics down. The point was, he couldn’t further his haki training without a partner, which he didn’t have. 

Luffy blinked, and a wide grin stretched across his face.

Or did he?

———

Ace stepped over dead leaves as he made his way through the forest and back to the bandits’ shack of a hideout. His hands were shoved in his pockets as he trudged on, eyes looking around boredly as he busied himself with his thoughts.

He had asked about Gold Roger again, more specifically if the man had a son, and got the same response as usual. Utter disgust and shouts of killing him. Sabo didn’t understand why he kept asking that same question.

_“Don’t listen to them,”_ his friend would say. _“They don’t know what they’re talking about. They don’t even know you!”_

_Maybe,_ Ace thought, _but if they don’t know me and still think that way, doesn’t that mean something?_

He was eight years old in a world that didn’t want him, living with bandits who more or less didn’t give a shit about him, and the only person he trusted was an orphan who lived in a trash heap (and maybe his stupid grandfather on a good day). He could drop dead and few would mourn him, celebrating instead at the extinction of a demon’s bloodline.

He hadn’t cared much for the name ‘Gold Roger’ before. It used to only be a name he heard in passing, a forbidden set of words whispered in the dark and cursed at. He had simply been Portgas D. Ace, son of a woman he never knew but longed for anyway, grandson of the marine hero who had saved the world on a number of occasions and caught the pirate that had taken said world by storm. 

It wasn’t until he was told that he was the son of the Pirate King that he finally paid more attention to the name. He asked around about the man and heard less than favorable responses, listened to rumors of the slaughter of thousands and destruction of countless islands left in his wake. One day he had asked the question, “What if Gold Roger had a son?” and the spit splattered on his face as the man he’d asked bellowed loudly about the many ways he would kill the hypothetical child—eliciting cheers from those who’d overheard—had been more than enough of an answer.

His father was a demon, and to the rest of the world he was, too.

A deep roar in the distance snapped him out of his thoughts and his head whipped towards the sound. It was followed by a loud snap of cracking wood and, despite his better judgement, Ace went to see what was happening. Anything to keep himself out of his head.

The closer he got to whatever was making all that noise the larger the signs of a fight became. Low-hanging tree branches were snapped in half, skid marks and matted grass covered the forest floor, and there was even some blood smeared on the fallen leaves. His curiosity piqued, Ace sped up. 

The first thing he noticed was the huge bear going on a rampage. It stood on its hind legs and easily rose to a height of almost five meters as its claws lashed out and swung around wildly. There was blood coating its fur and dripping onto the floor from what seemed to be a head wound and Ace was thinking _what the hell_ when he finally noticed what the bear was swinging at.

He blinked and his mouth fell open because he was pretty sure that was a _kid_ fighting the bear. He looked a few years younger than him and that meant the kid was _really_ young since Ace was only eight (though he’d be turning nine soon). What was he doing, fighting a bear literally five times his size? No, what was he doing _fighting a bear_ at all? The kid wasn’t anyone Ace recognized and he looked well fed and dressed, so that meant he wasn’t from the Gray Terminal or Edge Town. There was a village on this side of the mountain now that he thought about it, but he'd never been there before so he couldn’t confirm anything. He didn’t even think anyone came out this far into the forest unless they wanted to get killed, what with the crazy strong animals and mountain bandits and all. 

Ace watched as the kid jumped out of the way of a claw and the bear roared, furious. The bear swung its head as it followed after the kid and Ace finally got a good look at it’s face. There was a scar going down the side of it’s head, crossing over the mammal’s eye, and Ace realized that the bear was that same bear he’d seen fighting the Tiger Lord sometimes. It always lost, sure, but he had seen it get some good hits in. It was practically the second strongest animal in the forest at this point.

And that kid was _fighting_ it.

The bear got down on all fours and charged forward, jaw wide open and full of sharp teeth. The boy dodged as the bear tried to bite him and ran, the large mammal following just a ways behind. Ace ran after them, careful to stay some distance away. 

He heard the kid laughing up ahead and gaped. _How is he_ laughing _right now? Does he not know what situation he’s in?_ Granted, the kid might have been strong or something. He looked less damaged than one could expect a kid would be if they were up against a bear, only bruised and dirty with a few bleeding scratches. That or he was fast and kept dodging the whole time, though it wouldn’t explain the bear’s bleeding head wound.

The kid stopped running when he was suddenly cornered by a cliff and turned to face the bear. Ace hid behind a tree as the bear continued to charge towards the kid without stopping and idly wondered if he should help him. It wasn’t like he could beat the bear but he had the element of surprise and could kick it in the head to give the kid a chance to escape. Ah, but then he’d be stuck with the bear, wouldn’t he?

Luckily he wouldn’t need to do any saving as the kid jumped out of the way at the last second and the bear crashed straight into the wall of the cliff. Ace let out a snort at the sight of a dazed bear and a laughing kid. The situation was just so bizarre that it caught him slightly off guard. 

The impact apparently wasn’t enough to knock it out, though, because the bear snapped out of its daze and roared louder than it had before, its lips pulled back into a nasty snarl, nose flared and saliva dripping from sharp canines. A chill went down Ace’s spine at the animal’s absolutely feral look and he wondered if the kid was frozen in fear since he wasn’t moving an inch.

The bear charged once again, but this time it was fueled by rage and a bloodlust only a predator could have. It wasn’t even directed at him and he was a far distance away from the animal but it made him sweat nonetheless. 

The kid still hadn’t moved, even as the bear closed in on him, and Ace realized that he really would have to save him. There was no way he could make it in time to pull him out of the way though, so maybe he could distract the bear? He could throw something at it but there was nothing for him to throw and he didn’t have enough time to pick something up anyway. So what could he-

He took a step forward.

“ _Stop._ ”

Instantly, Ace stilled as _something_ washed over him and he stumbled, his legs suddenly weak. His hand landed on the tree beside him to hold himself up and he watched as the bear’s eyes shot wide open and skidded to a halt. It stopped directly in front of the kid and stared into his eyes, seemingly shaking, before sinking to the ground and pulling off what looked like a dogeza, almost curling up into itself.

_What the-?_ Ace thought, blinking a few times, because for a second there he’d thought the kid was speaking to _him_.

He shook his head, clearing his mind of the stupid thought. He was behind the kid so it wasn’t like he saw him, and he certainly didn’t know what he was about to do. Not that Ace knew either—his body just moved on its own.

Why the hell had that happened anyway? Ace didn’t even _know_ him. 

Then there was the bear that was still kowtowing on the floor, the _same_ bear that had been looking at the kid like a fat juicy salmon only seconds ago. It happened so fast—right in front of him, too—and he still didn’t know what happened. One moment it was a raging wild animal that literally radiated _bloodlust_ and the next it was cowering on the ground like a scared puppy. 

All because of a kid—or at least he assumed. 

Said kid walked up to the kneeling form of the bear and pet its head, his cheeks stretching into a grin from where Ace could see. 

“There, there,” he heard him say. “Sorry about before! I had to get you mad and hit you with a rock! Must’ve hurt, especially after you ran into that cliff-“ the kid snickered, “-but you helped me train so thanks!” 

Ace barely had any time to process the sentence ( _He did that to train?!_ ) before the kid continued. 

“You’re bleeding a lot, so I’ll help you as thanks! Ah, and an apology since I did it. I don’t have any bandages though so I’ll have to go back… but Makino probably won’t like seeing a bear at the bar!” The kid laughed before looking at his own bruised body. “She’ll probably get on me about this too… Gotta give you credit, bear! You sure know how to hurt a not-rubber-human!”

Ace could only blink as the kid kept holding a one-sided conversation with the bear. It was so _weird_ and his thoughts were all over the place ( _He was training? Why is he talking to a bear? Is this normal? That kid_ definitely _isn’t normal. Who’s Makino? What the fuck?_ ) but he knew for a fact that the kid was crazy.

He was totally gonna tell Sabo about this.

The kid bounced in place, excited and full of energy, as if he hadn’t just been chased by a bear that was trying to kill him (- _to train. Ace still couldn’t wrap his head around it_ ). “I’ll get the bandages from home and then come back! You come with me, since I don’t wanna walk all the way back here, but stay in the forest so no one gets scared, okay! I don’t wanna be grounded from training again!” The boy tugged at the bear’s ears. “Let’s go! You can get up, right? I don’t think I can carry you.”

To Ace’s surprise, the bear didn’t lash out at the kid and instead moved to get up, its legs slightly wobbly. The kid spun around and Ace could finally see his large, wide grin as he marched off in the direction they came, the bear following him obediently. Ace ducked behind the tree as they passed him by and watched them go, the small boy’s red clothed back sticking out like a beacon in the dark despite the warm colors of autumn surrounding him. 

He stood there for a while, even as they disappeared into the trees and foliage, before finally breaking out of his stupor. He turned in the opposite direction and started forward, making his way back to the hideout as he had been before all the crazy he’d witnessed. 

———

“Luffy, I’m stepping out for a bit—will you be alright?”

Luffy turned from the dishes he was putting away to see Makino coming down the stairs, a small coin pouch in hand. He tilted his head and blinked. “Yeah. But where are you going?”

“Just to the market. We’re low on eggs, flour, and some vegetables. I might get some bread from the bakery, too,” she said, walking up to him. She put a hand on his head and rustled his hair lightly. “I’ll be gone for a few minutes. Try not to break anything, okay?”

At her teasing tone, Luffy puffed out his cheeks. “Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?”

Makino laughed, raising her hands in defense. “Nothing! Just making sure.”

Luffy pouted at her for a moment longer before grinning and laughing. He smiled at her as he hopped off his stool and hugged her, the woman bending down to hug him back as well.

“I’ll be fine!” He said, and Makino smiled. She rose to her full height and gave him a final pat on the head before moving towards the door. 

“Alright then. I’ll be back soon!” 

Luffy watched as she put a hand on the saloon doors before turning and saying, “Ah, what do you want for lunch? I can get the ingredients while I’m at the market.”

Immediately, the boy brightened. “Omelette!” He shouted. “And meat!”

The bartender raised a delicate brow. “Omelette? That’s more of a breakfast food, you know?”

“But I want omelette! And meat!” Luffy insisted. 

Makino chuckled and resigned, nodding. “Omelette and meat it is, then.”

With one last wave, she pushed open the saloon doors and stepped out, the hinges squeaking and doors swinging in her wake. 

Luffy jumped back onto his stool to finish putting away the dishes, humming happily in anticipation for lunch. He’d had the sudden craving for omelettes ever since that morning, having a rare good dream about breakfast on the Thousand Sunny. Everyone was gathered in the galley, chatting and being loud like any other day on the ship. Chopper was talking with Robin about a new medical book he’d picked up from the last island, Usopp and Franky were discussing a new invention and improvements they could make to the Gaon Cannon, Brook was asking Nami if he could see her panties (and was rewarded a slap for his efforts), and Jinbe chuckled at the antics before asking the annoyed navigator about their course. Zoro was dozing off at the table just as Sanji came in and kicked his chair, the swordsman falling to the floor. They shouted death threats at each other as Sanji passed out the food, Luffy laughing while simultaneously stuffing omelettes in his mouth and reaching for the others’.

The dream had been so like their normal lives that Luffy still wasn’t sure if it was a memory or another illusion his sleep deprived brain came up with. Though, considering how much sleep had been getting recently, he supposed he wasn’t exactly ‘sleep deprived’ anymore. Since meeting Zoro two weeks ago he kept having good dreams instead of the usual nightmares or sleepless nights. Dreams—either of the past or like it—that never failed to make him smile nostalgically. He stopped waking up so often in the middle of the night and actually woke up well rested most mornings.

There was one dream he had about Shanks and his crew from when they visited Foosha. They were all in Partys Bar, the usual place they could be found in the village, laughing and yelling and drinking the place dry. He could remember Yasopp telling the villagers outlandish stories about their adventures as pirates and Lucky Roo singing off-key shanties with a group of drunk men. Luffy’s dream self was bugging Shanks about letting him join their crew and the red haired pirate only laughed, knocking his wooden mug against the boy’s head and telling him that he was just a kid and couldn’t handle the pirate life yet. 

Thinking back on it now, Luffy could agree with the (soon to be) Yonko. If Luffy had left with them and set out to sea that early, he had no doubt he would still be a crybaby. It wasn’t until meeting Ace and Sabo that he stopped crying at every little thing. He would probably still be weak and maybe never would have wanted to become the Pirate King. Plus, if he really had left Foosha with them, he never would have met his brothers or become the captain of his own crew and meet all his nakama. 

In the end, Luffy was glad that Shanks never let him join his crew. He was happy with how things turned out—a promise made, a hat on his head, two brothers by his side, and a ship he called home full of trustworthy nakama he called family.

He wouldn’t have it any other way.

After he finished putting away the dishes, Luffy wandered around the bar for a bit, opening random cabinets and peeking inside. He was kind of bored and didn’t have anything to do. Makino closed up the pub for the day so there wasn’t anyone to talk to, and he couldn’t go off to train or rummage around Gray Terminal for things to sell until after lunch. 

Thinking back to the omelettes, Luffy decided that he’d help prepare for them. He couldn’t cook but cutting things up should be pretty easy. He’d get to eat the omelettes faster, too.

Going to the fridge, Luffy pulled out the last green onions they had and set them on the counter with a cutting board and knife. He’d seen Makino and Sanji use scallions in their omelettes before and, despite not liking vegetables all that much, they tasted good in omelettes. 

He climbed up the stool and set to work, trying to remember how he’d seen them cut green onions before. He just had to cut them thinly, right? He lined up the knife with the green stalk and began slicing, careful of his fingers.

The cuts were, for the most part, alright, though some were slanted and almost triangular. At least they were all the same size, so Luffy thought he was doing a pretty good job.

His hand fell into the repetitive motion and his mind started to wander. He thought about the training he did with that bear two weeks ago and the presence he sensed watching him. While Ace had done a pretty good job at keeping out of view, he couldn’t exactly hide from Luffy’s Observation Haki. In fact, Luffy felt him coming before the older boy even saw him with the bear. Maybe one day Ace would be able to hide his presence from him, but until then Luffy would always be able to find him.

He wondered if Ace would tell Sabo about him. They were eight years old now and Luffy knew that, even before he met them, the two were good friends and told each other almost everything. That, of course, later extended to him too when they became brothers. But for the majority of their childhood they only had each other. Sabo was a runaway noble who wanted nothing to do with Goa Kingdom and Ace was an orphan who lived in the shadow of a father he grew to hate. Luffy was glad that they had each other to depend on, but he also wished he could be there for them, too. 

When Luffy eventually meets them, he’ll do his damned best to keep them safe and happy. He’d keep Sabo’s dad from taking him and make Ace realize that he was loved and that it was good that he was born. He’d help them get stronger so they could take care of themselves and handle anything that comes their way. It may have been a big brother role, but he _was_ technically older than them. 

Besides, his brothers were always there for him, so he wanted to do the same. 

He also wanted Ace to know that his father wasn’t the man the world made him out to be. While Luffy never knew the Pirate King personally, he met people who had and told him stories of the captain and his crew. From Rayliegh he learned the man was a stubborn, careless idiot and headstrong like a child, Shanks told him that he was a free soul who loved adventure and parties, and Inuarashi and Nekomamushi always talked about how charismatic and strong he was. Luffy heard tales of their adventures and all the amazing things Roger and his crew did and discovered. He admired how much the man cared for his nakama, how he always defended them despite the trouble it might cause. Marco even said he and the Pirate King were very similar, once.

Gol D. Roger was a great man, and Luffy didn’t want Ace to suffer from the lies of those who never knew him.

When Shanks came to Foosha, maybe Luffy could bring Ace to meet him. Shanks was an apprentice on Roger’s ship and was very close to him—so close that the man gave him his hat, which was then given to Luffy. Maybe Ace would understand if he heard about his father through someone who actually knew him.

Shanks would probably be happy to see Ace. The Yonko once told Luffy that he hadn’t known Ace was the son of his former captain—only recognizing him as Luffy’s brother and the commander of Whitebeard’s Second Division. If he had known he probably would have shown up at Marineford sooner, gotten rid of Kaidou quicker. Ace was the last known blood relative of Roger and Shanks had admitted that he felt as if he’d failed his captain for not being there to save him. Luffy couldn’t really say anything then—Ace’s death was still a bit of a sore subject—so they moved on from the topic to talk about something else. It was in the past and there was nothing they could do to change it. There was only room to look ahead and move on.

Now though, with the mystery time travel, Luffy had a chance to change everything.

He wouldn’t let himself regret anymore. 

Distantly aware that there was no more scallion for him to chop, Luffy absently brushed the onions into a clump in the middle of the board before letting the knife rest in his hand, his mind elsewhere.

He wondered if Shanks would even come to Foosha this time. Mystery time travel was weird so anything could happen—maybe Buggy would have a normal nose, maybe Brook wouldn’t have an afro, maybe Nami would have blue hair and a pet panda-bird. If he didn’t come, well, Luffy wouldn’t get his hat and Gomu Gomu powers. He couldn’t be Straw Hat Luffy without his _straw hat_ and rubber powers!

Luffy was six when they came to the village, almost seven when they left. He’d have to wait a whole year before he could figure anything out.

If Shanks _did_ end up coming, though, Luffy wouldn’t ask him to let him join his crew. He already had his goal of Pirate King and his nakama to gather. Even if he’d already made the promise and almost completed it once before, Luffy would still carry it through, no matter the timeline. 

Suddenly, he wondered what the man would think of him if he knew of Luffy’s failure. Not only had he died and not become the Pirate King like he said he would, his nakama had all died in front of him and he’d been powerless to save them. He trained to become stronger than ever before and he still lost them. Luffy never wanted to live with regrets, but the sight of each of his friends dying in front of him was forever burned into his mind and replayed in his dreams. 

Maybe Shanks would think that—even after everything he’d gone through—he still wasn’t ready for the life of a pirate. Pirates were constantly facing danger, sailing the open seas and staring straight into the unknown. Luffy thought he lived exactly like that, his crew by his side and seeking adventure and freedom with them. But death was a normal part of a pirate’s life and he should have expected it—should have been prepared. 

He wasn’t.

And he lost everyone.

He felt like that small kid again. That six year old, ignorant child who wanted to be a pirate and stood on top of a roof to stab himself in the face to prove that he was strong. He felt as if everything he’d done up until that point was useless and ultimately amounted to nothing. Like he was playing make-believe-pirate all along and had yet to truly become a man worthy of being the king.

(He knew he was wrong—he worked hard, came so far, accomplished so much, and had so many people who believed in him. He knew Shanks would never think less of him, that he would understand, but the suppressed doubt and fear he kept in the back of his mind was slowly consuming him.)

He had to get stronger, he had to keep everyone safe, he had to protect them, he had to make sure he’d never lose them again. He needed to be better this time, to _win_ and never lose again.

He had to get stronger. 

Stronger and stronger, 

stronger and stronger, 

stronger and stronger, 

stronger and stronger, 

stronger and stronger, 

stronger and stronger, 

stronger and stronger, 

stronger and stronger, 

stronger and stronger, 

stronger and stronger, 

stronger and stronger, 

stronger and stronger, 

and _even stronger than that!_

He **couldn’t lose**.

There was a sharp pain on the side of his face and Luffy dropped the knife in his hand, the blade clattering loudly on the cutting board. His fingers flew up to the space below his left eye and felt the sticky wetness flowing down his cheek before he pulled away at the painful twinge that shot through his face. 

He looked down, watched as scarlet dripped onto the bright and dark green of the chopped onions, and stilled.

His hands were _red._

———

The last thing Makino expected when she walked back into the bar was a bleeding Luffy with a deep gash in his face. What she _had_ expected to come home to was a few broken glasses or maybe even a broken chair or two. Not _this._

She’d called out at the front when she finished her shopping and didn’t think much of anything when she didn’t get a shout in response (and in retrospect, that should have already been suspicious). It was unsettlingly quiet once she pushed past the pub’s doors and her eyes discreetly glanced around the room to check for any damage done. It wasn’t until her sight flicked towards the kitchen area and saw bright red that she finally realized something was wrong. 

Makino carelessly threw her newly-bought groceries on the nearest table (the eggs somehow miraculously not breaking) and sprinted to the kitchen. She saw the small form of Luffy standing on his stool at the counter and only belatedly noticed the chopped green onions in front of him before her eyes were drawn to the fountain of blood dripping down the side of his face. Panic immediately swelled within her as her eyes blew wide open.

“Luffy!” She shouted, voice involuntary raising from shock and horror. “What happened?!”

The boy didn’t respond, staring at his (red, _red_ ) hands, and Makino took him by the shoulders to turn him towards her. There was too much blood to see properly, but the wound on his face was deep and seemed to have been made by a sharp object. She glanced around the area and saw the knife on the counter, tip stained by blood, and she bit her lip to hold back a curse. She looked back at Luffy and noticed him shaking slightly. His eyes had that far away look he’d sometimes get, but this time they were absolutely emotionless, without a single shred of light in them. It scared her.

Makino carefully set a palm on his unharmed cheek and brushed her thumb under his eye. Searching for any more injuries and gratefully finding none, she pulled back, eyes still on him worryingly.

“I’m going to get the first aid kit. Don’t move.”

Luffy didn’t look up as she left up the stairs and, when she came back a moment later with the kit, his eyes were still on his bloodied hands. 

Makino set to work, wiping the blood off his face with a hand towel. She dabbed the cloth around the cut as lightly as she could and when the area was more or less cleaned, she finally had a clear look at the cut.

It was deep—so deep that it cut right down to the bone. Makino could see a flash of pure white before it was swallowed up by bright red and she had to use the cloth in her hand to soak up the blood that was leaking out again. Her eyes teared up as she did so and she wondered why the boy wasn’t crying, too. It must’ve hurt but he wasn’t reacting at all. How did he even get the injury in the first place?

Makino dug into the kit and took out some alcohol pads to sanitize the wound. She ran a hand through Luffy’s sweat and muttered softly. 

“Sorry… This is going to hurt a bit…”

She carefully swept the pad over the cut and watched as Luffy blinked and jolted a bit, the light finally returning to his eyes. He looked up from his hands and over at Makino with confusion written all over his face.

“Eh? Makino? When did you get back?”

Makino had to consciously stop herself from frowning. “A few minutes ago. Are you alright?”

Luffy opened his mouth, stopped, and spoke, “Of course I am! Why wouldn’t I be?” Suddenly, one of his hands flew up and hovered over his cut. “ _Ow!_ Why does my face hurt?”

This time, Makino did frown. “Luffy, somehow you hurt yourself with that knife,” she said, nodding over to the kitchen knife on the counter as she continued to clean Luffy’s cut. “What happened?”

Luffy looked at her, still confused. Then his eyes widened in realization as he turned to the knife and then the blood on his hands. He looked back at her, a small frown on his lips.

“I was cutting those onions for the omelette because I wanted to help and eat them faster,” he said, clenching his fists. “I… I got distracted. It was an accident. I don’t know what happened.” He turned back to his hands with an unreadable look on his face. “I’m sorry…”

Makino didn’t know what to think of his explanation and only sighed. Luffy couldn’t lie, he was way too obvious, so it probably really was an accident. How the accident occurred, though, was what stumped her.

For now, Makino let the thought go as she finished cleaning up the wound and set a temporary gauze pad over it.

“It’s fine, Luffy,” she said, giving him a small hug. “I’m happy you were trying to help, but please, don’t touch the knives when I’m not here.” 

The boy nodded and she smiled slightly. Cleaning up and packing away the first aid kit, she turned to Luffy with a sterner stare. 

“I have to take you to the doctor to get that properly treated, though. It’s a very deep cut and you’ll probably need stitches.”

_That_ got a reaction out of the boy.

“What? But I hate needles!” He whined, pouting and fussing about.

Makino chuckled. “I know you can handle it. You’re a big boy, aren’t you?”

Luffy scowled. “I’m not a _big boy_ —I’m a man!”

She smiled indulgently. “Of course, my mistake.”

Still, she couldn’t shake the worry that cemented deep within her—from the cut on his face, the vacant look in his eyes, the way he stared at his hands, and the fact that he barely noticed the wound in the first place.

For not the first time, she wondered what it was that made Luffy this way.

———

The scar on his face was familiar—similar to that same one he had in another life. 

But the meanings held within them were different.

Once, the scar was proof of strength and courage.

Now, it was a promise to himself. A vow to never regret again, to surely protect the ones he loved.

He’d be damned if he broke this promise again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the super long wait! I won’t lie to you guys though—this most likely will not be the first time there’ll be a big break in updates after updating frequently before that. My brain goes on cool down for a looong time after writing sprees. So just a heads up in case anything like this happens again!
> 
> On another note, I just wanna say that Ace is gonna be more mellowed out in this fic. When Luffy meets him in canon, Ace is 10 and has lived with his hate of his father for much longer. Since he’s only 8 now (almost 9) he hasn’t really had as much time to become so hateful. He’ll still be pretty grumpy and snappy but not try-to-kill-Luffy-on-sight sort of stuff.
> 
> Also, Luffy is NOT afraid of blood in this fic. Sorry if I made it seem that way. He was shaken up because of his thoughts before that and seeing the blood on his hands reminded him of stuff he’d rather not remember and just couldn’t handle it then. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! Next chapter will come out whenever it comes out, but we’ll be seeing more of Ace and some Sabo so hopefully that makes up for it!
> 
> Join my Discord!!: https://discord.gg/B8YnWU4


	6. Wear Layered Clothing When Playing in the Snow, Lest You Attract Tigers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Ace and Sabo! In which Luffy piques his future brothers’ interest twice. Garp considers and relents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started watching Gintama recently and wanted to try making a Gintama-like chapter title lol. I might even make the rest of the chapter titles like this since they’ve mostly been random and whatever I could come up with at the time. Anyway, Gintama is a really good comedy anime that I think needs more attention—I highly recommend it!!

Ever since his little accident months ago, Makino’s been breathing down his neck and watching him like a hawk. Luffy could understand why—he’d really messed up then—but it didn’t make him feel any less uncomfortable. He knew Makino was just worried, though, so he didn’t mind too much.

He was lucky that she still let him go out every day after lunch. Any other person would keep him inside and in their line of sight at all times. Luffy was surprised that Makino hadn’t done just that, but he was grateful nonetheless. Just a single week of being kept from training had him restless—he didn’t know what weeks on end would do to him. 

All the knives in the pub were put out of his reach—which was fair, he supposed.

He _did_ think that her keeping him from serving anything in the pub that needed a knife was a bit much, though.

While Luffy was glad that Makino cared for him, he didn’t know what to think of the extreme caution she had with him and sharp things. He didn’t think she was doing it purposefully, but her overprotectiveness was a little annoying. He didn’t need to be babied—he was strong! And what happened was just an accident after all—it wouldn’t happen again.

He was glad that her coddling had toned down some, at least. The first week after the incident had Makino only making stews and buying bread for their meals day after day—refusing to let him near any sharp utensils. She slowly started letting him eat other foods though, then let him use chopsticks and forks for rice or pasta. Knives were still out of the question, but it never mattered to Luffy since he just dug in with his hands and teeth.

She was reluctant in letting him in the kitchen, despite hiding the knives, but ultimately didn’t stop him. Luffy never went into the kitchen for utensils—only ever for food—but he stayed away from the drawers and cabinets for Makino’s sake. He knew he made her worry a lot so he wanted to ease at least some of it.

Coming home to see a kid bleeding after accidentally stabbing himself was an alarming sight, though, so it wasn’t like he could blame her. 

Luffy walked through the forest, snow crunching under his feet as he went. Luffy was light so he only sunk in a little bit, but if he were any heavier the snow would reach just below his knees. Winter had fully taken over and it had been snowing a lot recently. The skies were cloudy and gray but no snow was falling yet. The landscape was quiet and white, the only sound being the soft crushing of snow.

He dragged the dead deer behind him, it’s body making a deep track in the snow. He’d just finished training and was heading to the Gray Terminal as usual to search for junk to sell. Since he started going to the Gray Terminal after his training he’d made friends with a majority of the homeless people who lived there. While they were shady, not all of them were bad people. Some were dangerous and did illegal things in the trash land, but Luffy had always been a good judge of character. The people he befriended were good people and most were just struggling to get by and did anything to get money. While Luffy couldn’t give them money, he did bring them animals for food and skins from time to time. With the winter season and it’s biting cold in full swing, he brought them almost every day.

Luffy sped up a bit when he saw the mounds of trash in the distance, a smile on his lips as he broke through the trees. His breath condensed into puffs of white as he looked around the familiar sight of trash covered in snow and ice. He made his way towards the clump of makeshift shacks and houses in the middle of the trash dump where the people of the Gray Terminal lived and wasn’t very surprised to see no one out. Smoke was coming from almost all the houses, though, so he could assume everyone was there.

Winters were dangerous for the inhabitants of the Gray Terminal. They didn’t have proper clothes for the weather and their homes had too many holes and were too thin to keep out the freezing cold. They made fires in their homes but rarely left during the season and therefore couldn’t search for items to sell to make money very often. Because they didn’t have money they couldn’t buy food and other necessities, most ended up dying due to the cold or starvation. They also couldn’t hunt since they all lived in the city at some point and didn’t know how to.

Luckily, Luffy was there to do that for them.

He skipped to the center of the open space and shouted into the silence.

“Hey everyone! I’m here! And I got meat!”

The silence rang for a moment before rustling could be heard in most of the houses and people stepped out one by one, their frail bodies shaking in the cold. They were shivering violently as they gathered around the boy but gave small smiles. A few kids (who were older than him so he couldn’t really call them kids) broke through the crowd and ran up to him.

“Oi, Luffy-kun!” Henry shouted, glomping the smaller boy. Luffy laughed as he lost balance and fell in the snow.

“You’re back, you bastard,” Kan grunted, his words sharp but the grin on his face obviously meaning otherwise. It reminded Luffy a lot about Zoro, actually.

“Shishishi, I come every day! Of course I’m back, silly Kan!” He giggled, hugging Henry before the blonde jumped up and hopped in place excitedly.

“You’ll never guess what I found yesterday! Look!” Luffy couldn’t even get a word out before a shiny silver pocket watch was shoved in his face.

“Oooh!” Luffy awed, reaching out to touch it. Henry pulled it from his reach but he didn’t mind and continued admiring it. “It’s pretty! You gonna sell it?”

“Nah, it’s too pretty to be sold!” The older boy said, flipping open the latch to show the inside. Luffy watched as the hands on the small clock ticked and moved. “It works, too! I’m keeping it! It’s my treasure now!”

“You only found it because you fell in that trash pile,” Isa said as she helped Luffy up. “You got stuck and we had to pull you out—you’re not light, y’know!”

Kan and Isa kicked his legs and Henry fell with an indignant squawk. 

Luffy laughed at them, watching as they started poking and tickling the blonde. 

Kan, Henry, and Isa were best friends who Luffy also befriended in the Gray Terminal. Henry was an orphan who got kicked out of his orphanage and found himself in the dump outside Goa when he was seven. Kan and Isa were blood siblings who were born and raised in the Gray Terminal and eventually found Henry and helped him out. They ended up sticking together and met Luffy when he was scavenging around. Kan was fourteen, Henry thirteen, and Isa eleven. They were cool and fun to be around so Luffy liked them. 

“T-That’s nice and all, b-but could we get a fire going?” Someone from the crowd said.

“Y-Yeah, it’s f-f-freezing!”

“I’m hungry!

“L-Let’s cook that deer already!”

Luffy snapped out of his thoughts with a laugh and helped make a bonfire in the center space. Once the fire was going he helped the adults skin the deer and put it over the flames. It was a large deer that could feed a lot of them and if it wasn’t enough Luffy could always run back into the forest for more. The venison was roasted over the fire and when it was done Luffy had to stop himself from eating some, too. He just had lunch and they were all hungrier than him, after all. The meat he brought everyday was often the only meal they had for the day. 

In the end, Luffy did have to run back in the forest and hunt a few more deer for everyone. When they were all full Luffy left to search around the mounds of trash for anything interesting to sell, Kan, Henry, and Isa joining him.

“Remember; finders, keepers!” Kan said before they all dove into a new pile of trash from Goa.

They dug around for a while before Isa shivered and cried, “It’s too cold! I can’t do this anymore!”

Across from her, Henry started shaking, too. “Ugh, now I’m cold because you mentioned it! I need a fire!”

Kan rubbed his arms. “We should get back then. Our clothes weren’t made for the cold.”

Luffy looked up from the trinkets he found, brows furrowed. Their clothes were simple long-sleeves and torn pants. They all had thin scarves wrapped around their necks but Luffy doubted that it actually kept them warm. He gathered his things and stepped away from the pile.

“You guys can go home, then! I’m gonna sell these real quick and go back before Makino gets worried.”

The three of them turned to look at him.

“You sure?” Kan said, also getting up with the things he found.

“You’re only five! A kid like you is begging to be mugged, you know,” Henry said, groaning when Isa slapped the back of his head. “Oi! I was joking! Joking!”

Luffy pouted at the older boy. “I can take care of myself! I’m strong!”

“We know. You’re the one who hunts and gives us food, after all,” Kan said, patting his shoulder. “We’ll head back, then. Don’t get mugged.”

“I won’t!” Luffy huffed. 

Isa giggled and gave Luffy a parting hug while Henry fist bumped him. The three left and Luffy walked off in the other direction towards the tall walls of Goa. 

Getting past the guards was always tricky but they seemed to be too cold to be on high alert. He slipped past them, concealing his presence to keep them from noticing him (something he eventually had to learn on the seas. Luffy wasn’t very sneaky, but he could be if he really had to). They were so distracted by the cold that Luffy was even able to pickpocket them, a skill he’d learned from Nami. He wasn’t too good at pickpocketing since he was still so obvious but they were distracted enough for him to pluck their wallets from their persons and get away unnoticed.

Once past the walls Luffy was faced with the gray buildings of Edge Town. With the bright snow and cloudy sky, the city looked even more monotone and bleak than usual. Barely anyone was out because of the weather but Luffy could see a few people in the alleys and shadows between the old buildings. Being in the shadows on a cold day only made you colder—why would they stand there?

He sold the trinkets easily enough—the things he found were pretty even if used and scratched. Plus, puppy eyes were very helpful in convincing people. He didn’t need to use it often, but when he did even the ones who didn’t want to buy from him eventually caved. Luffy knew puppy eyes were effective with experience—Ace could never say no and the same was for Sabo. Being a five year old kid only made them more effective.

He even managed to push for a high price. Nami would be proud of him.

Once he sold everything, Luffy started to head back. The sky was getting darker and he was already late. Makino would probably be worried. 

It was starting to snow as Luffy walked down the streets of Edge Town and back to the gate. He hummed a bit, calm despite the eyes he could feel on him. It made him uncomfortable but he was used to it, being a (former?) pirate after all. Edge Town was full of dangerous people, so a kid walking around freely was bound to draw some looks in his direction. 

Still, as he said before, he was strong. He could take care of himself. 

Luffy stuck out his tongue to catch a snowflake when he heard loud rambunctious laughter from the building beside him. His brows rose when he felt two familiar presences inside. 

Curious, he stepped into the bar. 

———

Sabo leaned against the wall, his eyes roaming over the pub from his place in the back. The air reeked of alcohol and the people were loud and obnoxious. Sabo hated coming to places like these—it was dangerous and he constantly felt on edge, more so than usual anyway. Ace had insisted though, so he had no choice but to comply.

Speaking of, his eyes found his long time friend at the front by the barstools. The men there were the rowdiest of them all, constantly shouting for refills and complaining to each other using words that normal kids their age shouldn’t be privy to. 

He rolled his eyes as he heard a particularly vulgar statement coming from a table nearby and watched as Ace tugged at one of the men on the bar stools. 

Sabo still didn’t understand why he was so insistent in asking that same question all the time. He knew the results would be the same and would only make him feel worse. Sabo had tried talking his friend out of it multiple times but he never listened. No one had a good opinion of the Pirate King and Ace knew that well so there was no use asking. The only answers he ever received were the ones that made him snap and crawl further into himself. Sabo hated watching it.

Being a former noble, Sabo knew the words those men spoke were as valuable as shit. Nobles spoke lie after lie to make themselves look good and further their reputations and places in society. Nothing they said could be taken at face value. Sabo knew the people in this bar had never once met Gold Roger and had only ever heard rumors of him, maybe even spinning some of their own. It was to be expected—Gold Roger was a dangerous pirate before he died, the sole man who led his crew through the Grand Line and conquered the seas no one else could. He was despised by everyone and his existence was practically spat on. 

Sabo personally had no opinion of the man. He didn’t care for the rumors and didn’t believe most of them, either. Living near the Gray Terminal had taught him to pick lies from truths and he could tell when most were preposterous. Gold Roger might not have been as bad of a man as the rumors said, but maybe he was, too. Since Sabo had never met the man (nor met someone who had met him), he couldn’t form a solid opinion towards him.

For Ace’s sake, though, he hoped he was a good man. A man that wasn’t as ruthless as the pirate in the rumors. Ace needed a father who was the opposite of what those people had pounded into his head. He needed to know someone had loved him. Sabo loved his friend plenty, but apparently it just wasn’t enough. 

He could understand that, though. Love was all he’d ever wanted, too.

The man on the bar stool turned to Ace and the brunette wasted no time in asking his question.

“What if Gold Roger had a son?”

The man stared at him for a moment before he broke out laughing, the others who overheard guffawing as well. Even from here, Sabo could see how Ace’s eyes hardened and how tense his shoulders became. He sighed, knowing how this would end, and his hand clenched around his pipe. He didn’t usually get involved in Ace’s temper tantrums but he would if he had to.

“If he had a son, eh? That bastard, as if he could! No woman would be so insane and hook up with him!”

“If there was one that bitch would be dead now, too!”

“That demon Pirate King only brings destruction wherever he goes! Same would be for his brat, if he ever had one!”

“Like father, like son! Maybe he’d even die like him!”

“Nah, an execution would be too merciful! Slice his stomach open!”

“Rip off his arms!”

“Cut off his head!”

The laughter that started up was suffocating and Sabo felt like throwing up. The things they said were sick and inhumane. No one should wish such a thing upon someone, a _child_ —whether they were the hypothetical son of a criminal or otherwise. He could see Ace physically shaking in rage as his eyes were shadowed by his fringe. He took a step and Sabo waited for him to snap and lash out—

“Hey! _Shut up!_ ”

Sabo blinked and turned his head toward the entrance to the bar. The door was still open and snow was coming in, along with a cold wind that made him shiver a bit—though he couldn’t tell if it was actually the wind that made him shiver or the look on the kid’s face. His eyes were black pools of restrained rage and his scowl was as fierce as a wild animal’s. The kid looked younger than them, too—what was he doing in a place like this? He didn’t look like someone who lived in Edge Town so he must’ve been a normal brat who somehow wandered in here.

That was unlikely though, going by the air surrounding him. It was tense and unsettling, like he could snap at any moment, charging like a wolf and sinking his fangs into his prey. It wasn’t like a normal kid at all.

The boy stepped forward, snow sweeping in behind him from the door he hadn’t closed, his feet thumping against the wooden floorboards in the ominously quiet bar. He crossed the bar and stood beside Ace, dark eyes landing on the man who’d laughed first.

“Oh?” The man slurred, still high on his earlier laughter. “Whaddya want, ki—“

The boy sprung forward, swinging a fist in his face and effectively shutting him up. He fell off his chair and landed on the floor with a loud, dull thud. The other people who had been laughing stood but the harsh glare from the kid stopped them from moving.

“What the hell are you talking about?” The kid grit out, the fist he used to punch the man shaking. “What the hell?! That’s not how you talk about someone!”

(After meeting Luffy, Ace stopped asking that question to random people in bars and back alleys. While he was still uneasy and hateful of his parentage, Luffy had come and brought a new meaning to his life. Because he stopped asking the question and never talked about it, Luffy never heard the responses to it. He knew they were bad—they had to be to make Ace feel the way he did about his existence—but hearing it in person was worse than he’d imagined.)

“Listen here, you bastards!” He shouted, and Sabo felt something wash over him that made his hairs stand on end. “A newborn child bears no sin! It doesn’t matter who their parents are! That child is free! And you have no right to take that freedom from them!”

Sabo stiffened. Beside the kid, Ace stilled, too. 

“Just because the Pirate King might’ve done some bad things doesn’t mean you can take it out on his son just because he’s dead!” The kid shouted, his voice bouncing off the walls and echoing in their ears. “You people are sick! Worse than Roger ever was!”

The man on the floor pushed himself up, shaking and glaring at the kid. “W-What the fuck is wrong with you, you fucking brat?!”

The kid leveled him with a cold stare. “I should be asking you that. Dumbasses like you are the reason pirates set sail. So we don’t have to deal with your bullshit.”

Before Sabo could mentally question the ‘we’ in that sentence, the boy turned and started for the door. The man jumped to his feet, a hand cradling the bruise that was starting to form on his cheek.

“Oi! Get him! Like I’m letting him go after punching me!”

Two men moved, one with a bulky physique and the other with a pocket knife. The kid didn’t even bother to run faster or defend himself as the men lunged at him. He didn’t need to, though, because two pipes came and did the work for him.

Sabo looked over his shoulder at Ace who had easily disarmed the knife-wielder by smacking him hard in the wrist.

“Oh?” He said, raising a brow teasingly. “Ace is helping a defenseless kid instead of beating the crap out of people twice his size?”

“Shut up!” Ace snapped at him, swinging his pipe at the disarmed man’s side as Sabo swung at the bulky man’s face. “If you haven’t noticed, I _am_ beating the crap out of someone twice my size!”

“You’re also protecting a little kid,” Sabo said, hitting his opponent hard in the balls just as Ace knocked down his. “Aww, Acey-wacy’s growing up and thinking about others!”

“I said shut up!” Sabo dodged the pipe aimed at his head and laughed at the slight reddening of his friend’s cheeks. “Don’t call me that! And speak for yourself, dumbass Sabo!”

The blonde feigned an offended gasp. “I’m a gentleman, thank you very much! I know how to be a decent human being, unlike you and your freckles.”

“What do my freckles have to do with this?!”

Suddenly they were both pushed out of the way as a blur shot past them and towards the man who’d fallen down earlier that they hadn’t noticed started charging at them. The kid jumped behind the man and punched him hard in the back of the head, causing him to stumble and pass out. Dusting himself off, the kid looked over at them, grinning wide and laughing.

“Shishishi! You guys are funny! Should’ve paid attention, though.”

Sabo grinned. “Yeah, but thanks for covering our backs. That was cool, though! You were so fast and knocked him out with one punch!”

The kid’s grin stretched wider. “Thanks! And you guys helped me out, too!”

Ace huffed. “They were saying stupid shit so I wanted to hit them.”

Sabo took a hand and partially covered his mouth on the side Ace was standing, though didn’t bother to actually whisper. “Don’t worry about him. He’s just shy.”

“I am not! Fuck you!”

The kid laughed again, louder and lighter. Somewhere in the back of his mind Sabo thought he quite liked the sound of it. 

Nudging the brunette with his elbow, Sabo said, “We should probably go before anyone else decides to chase after us. That is, unless you want to beat some more people up?”

Ace looked around the bar at the people who were staring at them and rolled his eyes. “No. I’m good.”

“We’ll be fine,” the kid said, knocking out the two other men on the floor who were trying to get up. He turned to their audience, smile wide and anything but friendly. It was more of a baring of teeth, really. “No one’s gonna follow us, right?”

The onlookers within the bar collectively nodded as one. Sabo thought it was funny.

They left the bar easily enough, passing through the doors and into the snow. The sky was a dark gray now and snow was falling heavily. They’d need to get back soon before a blizzard blows through. 

“Where do you live?” Sabo asked, tugging his collar up to protect his neck from the cold. “You don’t look like you live in Edge Town.”

The kid blinked up at him. “Ah, I live in Foosha Village!”

“Foosha Village?” Sabo asked, confused. “That small village on the other side of the mountain?”

The boy nodded and Ace turned to him. “You came over the mountain by yourself?”

“Mm! Everyday! I train and have friends in the Gray Terminal and make money so I’m here almost every day!”

Sabo watched as Ace stared at the kid through narrowed eyes before they suddenly blew wide open. 

“Oi, wait, are you that kid that fought that bear like, three months ago?”

The kid looked at him and grinned. Ace groaned, dragging a hand down his face. 

“Huh? What are you talking about?” Sabo asked.

“Remember when I told you about that kid I saw a few months back? How he was fighting a bear and fucking around with it?” At Sabo’s nod, Ace continued, pointing at the kid. “This is him. I didn’t recognize him since he’s not wearing red today. Plus, it totally slipped my mind.”

“Eh?” Sabo said, eyes wide. He looked at the kid. “You’re the one that fought the bear for training and then tamed it?”

“En! Scar-Face is my friend now and he helps me train sometimes!”

“Scar-Face…” Ace’s said under his breath, just loud enough for Sabo to hear. “That’s some shit naming sense.”

“Oi! Scar-Face is a great name! ‘Coz he’s got a scar on his face!” The boy shouted, because apparently Ace wasn’t quiet enough.

Sabo chuckled as his friend flustered a bit at being heard, saying that it was absolutely stupid. “I think it’s a nice name. Sounds badass,” he said, giving the younger a thumbs-up. 

The boy beamed, bright as a tiny sun, and Sabo grinned back. 

The three of them sneaked through the gates and into the Gray Terminal without a problem since the guards were gone for the night. They walked through the mounds of trash while talking (though it was mostly Sabo to the kid since Ace was being his usual grumpy butt) until they reached the outer edge of the Gray Terminal. The snow was coming down in thick sheets and the wind was getting rougher, so it was safe to assume a blizzard would hit pretty soon.

“Oi, Ace, mind if I crash with you for the night? I don’t wanna sleep out in a blizzard,” Sabo said, shivering slightly in his somewhat-thin clothes. They were the only set he had and weren’t made for the cold.

Ace nodded. “Sure. You can hide in my room for the night. Don’t go showing up in front of the bandits, though. I don’t want that old hag yelling at me about ‘bringing in a street brat.’” He tsked, muttering to himself. “Like they’re any better. Crappy bandits like them are just ‘street brats’ living in mountains.”

“Eh?” The kid said. “Where does Sabo live?”

_How does he know my name? Ah, wait—he’s heard us saying each other’s names._ “Well, I don’t live anywhere, really, but I usually sleep in this hole under a tree. Sometimes there’s a bad storm and I stay at Ace’s.” Sabo smirked as he looked at the younger boy. “He lives up in the mountains with bandits, ya know? It’s where he gets his grumpy attitude.”

“I do _not_ have a grumpy attitude, asshole!” Ace shouted, glaring at the blonde.

Sabo only laughed. “Well you’re not doing anything to prove me wrong! Look at you! You’re throwing a tantrum now!”

“I-I’m not—I’m not throwing a fucking tantrum, bastard!” The brunette stuttered, embarrassed. “Shut the hell up!” 

Sabo laughed harder, the kid laughing with him. They teased Ace a bit more, walking through the snow covered forest. They were all basically going the same direction, what with the bandit hut and village on the other side of the mountain. They eventually fell into a comfortable silence, the howling of wind in their ears and the crunching of ice under their feet. 

The silence went on for a while longer as they crossed the mountain until Ace spoke.

“You… What you said at that bar…” He said, soft enough that Sabo could barely hear him over the wind. The kid perked up, listening. “Do you really believe that…?”

The boy smiled, softer than his wide grins but just as bright. “Every word.”

Sabo’s lips quirked upwards, choosing to stay silent. The words the kid spoke earlier hit hard—for the both of them. He, who grew trapped by the walls of nobility and social expectations, and Ace, who caged himself in the harsh words of strangers with no one to tell him otherwise. Every day had been suffocating until they met each other and supported one another, but even then they still had uncertainties. Sabo kept his bottled up, refusing to tell his friend of his former status, while Ace questioned his right to live.

They wanted to be pirates—for the fame, the fortune, the adventure, but mostly the freedom. Sabo didn’t want to be confined by the chains of his social standing and Ace wanted to prove to the world that he had lived. They wanted to be free to do what they wanted, when they wanted, and without anyone interfering. They didn’t want anyone to tell them what they could and couldn’t do, whether they had the right to live or not. They wanted to be free to live their own lives as they pleased.

But because of the positions they were born into, sons of nobles and internationally wanted criminals, they weren’t able to move as freely as they wanted to. Sabo eventually escaped his noble status by fleeing from High Town and becoming another homeless orphan in the Gray Terminal, but Ace was still trapped by his heritage. Ace only told him who his father was because he felt the need to tell someone who he knew would listen and wouldn’t judge him, but that was only after three years of knowing each other. While Sabo would probably never reveal his own heritage (he didn’t want to have anything to do with them, after all), he swore he would keep Ace’s secret to his grave. 

Still, Ace never stopped looking for answers to his single query and continued to question his existence. No matter how many times Sabo would try to convince him to stop or tell him what he knew to be the truth (that he was allowed to live, that he had every right to), his friend didn’t stop. He had stewed in others’ hatred of the mere thought of his existence for so long and began to question and even hate himself because of it. He kept looking into bars and dark alleys for that hatred and beat up the people who provided the answers to his questions. Sabo never understood it.

Now though, looking at this random kid who showed up out of nowhere and said words that struck deep within them, he thought he could finally understand. 

Maybe Ace was looking for someone—someone who didn’t know him and who he really was—to tell him what he needed to hear all along.

The kid looked ahead, eyes distant. “No one should be judged by actions that aren’t their own, and no one should be killed because of who their parents are,” he said, eyes flashing with the last sentence. He blinked and the look left as quickly as it came. 

He looked back at them, smiling wide. “I’m gonna be a pirate!” Sabo and Ace’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’ll gather a crew and sail the Grand Line with them! We’ll go on lots of adventures, make lots of friends, and be the freest people in the world!”

The look in his eyes changed again, into an emotion Sabo couldn’t place, before returning to that determined stare. “I’m gonna be the Pirate King! The freest person in the world! And I’ll protect everyone that I love!”

Then his onyx orbs darkened, a slight frown on his lips. “I’ll stop anyone who gets in the way.”

The emotion in his eyes stayed long enough for Sabo to decipher what it was—anger, hatred, promise. The blonde blinked and wondered what could’ve happened to make him feel such things.

“Pirate King, huh?” Sabo said, glancing over at Ace, the brunette’s face blank. “You gonna be a big baddie like Gold Roger?”

“Huh?” The kid said, looking at him as the dark glint in his eyes left. “Roger wasn’t a bad guy.”

Ace looked at him with a raised, slightly incredulous brow. “What do you mean? Of course he was—he’s the _Pirate King_. Haven’t you heard about the shit he’s done?”

The younger scoffed. “Those rumors? That’s just what they are—rumors. Do you really think anyone here’s actually met the man?”

Ace kept quiet.

“I mean, sure, Roger’s done some pretty stupid stuff, but it’s not like he did it on purpose,” the kid rolled his eyes. “He’s just an idiot.”

“You sound like you know him,” Sabo said, curious.

The boy shook his head. “Nah, but I knew someone who did. They were really close, too.”

“Who?” Ace asked, dark eyes trained on the boy.

The kid hummed, hands clasped behind his head in an easygoing gesture as he looked forward. “His first mate.”

Ace’s eye twitched, and Sabo sighed softly. “There’s no way a brat like you knows that bastard’s first mate.”

The kid looked at him from the corner of his eye and, with what seemed to be practiced ease, didn’t react to the older’s temper. “Believe what you want. I can’t change that stubborn mind of yours just yet.”

The silence afterward was more tense than before, Sabo feeling awkward as he stood between them. Just when Ace was seeming to warm up to a total stranger, Sabo came along and accidentally wrecked everything. He felt guilty, since his question and the kid’s answer was what spurred Ace to lash out in his version of disbelief.

“Uh,” Sabo said, attempting to fix the mood. “Why do you want to be the Pirate King? If you don’t mind me asking.”

It worked, if the smile on the kid’s face was anything to go by. “I said it earlier, didn’t I? The Pirate King is the freest person in the world! If being a pirate means you’re free, then being Pirate King means you’re even _freer_ than that!”

Sabo chuckled, catching Ace’s eye for a moment before the tsundere looked away. “That so?” The blonde pointed at himself and the brunette. “If that’s the case, what if we wanna be the Pirate King, too?”

The kid grinned, looking up at them challengingly. “Then we’ll fight.”

Both older boys shared a smirk, silently accepting the challenge.

———

“This way goes to the bandit hideout,” Sabo said, pointing in a direction, “and that way goes to Foosha. We’ll split up here, then.”

The kid nodded, smiling. “I wanna stay with you guys longer, but Makino’ll be mad if I come home in the middle of a storm,” he said, snickering.

“Don’t get lost,” Ace said, folding his arms in what looked like a cool gesture, but was probably just to keep the boy warm. The snow was coming down in thick sheets now and the harsh winds were freezing.

The kid rubbed his red nose. “I’ll be fine! You guys should worry about yourselves, though. The blizzard’s only gonna get worse.”

“O-Oh?” Sabo asked, a small stutter in the sound as his teeth chattered. “And how do you know that?”

The boy grinned. “Just do.”

“Oi,” Ace huffed, shoving at Sabo’s shoulder lightly. “Let’s go, unless you wanna end up a human popsicle.”

“Heh, you saying that for me or yourself?”

“Shut up.”

The kid giggled. He started walking, waving a bit as he looked back at them. “Bye bye, then! See you guys!”

Sabo waved back as Ace started for the hideout, grunting in acknowledgement. The blonde turned to follow before stopping, almost stumbling forward. He felt like slapping himself—they were walking together for at least an hour, why hadn’t he asked sooner?

Sabo turned to the kid who was slowly making his way further from them.

“Hey! What’s your name?” He asked, shouting over the howling wind in his ears. 

Through the storm of white, he could see a smile.

“It’s Luffy!”

Sabo blinked, and the boy was gone.

———

“Oi! Put more effort into it, you brat! You’re not trying hard enough!”

Luffy grunted, ducking under the monkey’s swing before uppercutting it’s chin. The monkey screeched before falling to the ground with its other knocked out friends. 

Luffy glared at his grandfather. “Shut up, you old fart! This is boring! I wanna do something else!”

Gramps laughed from his place on the snowy floor. “Boring? Hah! I’ll admit that you’ve made a lot of improvement and are stronger than before, but you’ve still got a long way to go, you cocky grandson! Now, go spar with some more monkeys and beat them in ten seconds! Maybe then I’ll consider giving you some harder training!”

Luffy crossed his arms, scowling. “You’re underestimating me, shitty geezer! I could beat ‘em in five if I wanted to! They’re all weak!”

“Hoh? Really? Show me.”

The boy’s brow twitched at the challenge as he turned to look at the last two monkeys remaining, the poor things looking around for an escape. Luffy would’ve felt sorry for them if he weren’t so pissed. The monkeys flinched when his eyes landed on them and they stepped back a bit, but froze when Gramps sent a glare their way. Visibly gulping, the monkeys charged.

It really ended in five seconds. Luffy easily dodged both tackles, slapped away desperate swings of arms, and punched them in the face. The monkeys collapsed, unconscious.

Luffy turned to his Gramps, grinning triumphantly. 

The old man stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Huh. Would you look at that.”

The five year old let out a confident huff through his nose. “See? I told you! I’m super strong now!” He smirked, sending a sly look at the geezer. “I bet I could give even you a run for your money, damned grandpa.”

Famous last words.

Gramps stood at that, rolling up his sleeves. “You brat,” he said, grinning maniacally. “Fine. Let's see just how strong you’ve gotten.”

———

“Gyeh, dammit shitty Gramps…! I’ll make you pay…” Luffy groaned miserably. His everything _hurt_.

Gramps had the audacity to laugh. “Says the brat that has to be carried back to the village! You can’t even move right now! Keep starting fights with strong opponents like me and you’ll die on the field, you cocky grandson!”

Luffy dug his face into his grandfather’s back and shouted muffled curses into his clothes. 

His body screamed at him with every step Gramps took, as if it was voicing its resentment at his decision to challenge the marine hero. Honestly, Luffy regretted it now, too. His Gramps was stronger than when he’d last seen him in his first life and Luffy wasn’t anywhere near the level he was at when he was 17, let alone 21. He couldn’t land a single hit on the geezer. The only thing he was really able to do was dodge due to his recent battle Observation Haki training, but even then he was only able to avoid a Fist of Love a few times. He’d been hit so many times he’d lost count. Luffy also had to restrain himself from using Armament since he didn’t want Gramps finding out about it yet, but he didn’t think it would have helped much, anyway.

Luffy picked up his head and set his chin on his grandfather’s shoulder. “Well, not everyone’s gonna be as strong as you! You could hold back a bit!”

“I was holding back!” Gramps said, and Luffy’s nose scrunched. “But criminals won't hold back on you! So you’ve gotta learn to take punches and fight back! You’re gonna be a fine marine, so I can’t have you losing to some no-name pirate.”

“I ain’t gonna be a marine…” Luffy mumbled, but he was close enough to Gramps’ ear that the man heard it.

“I won’t be hearing that from you! I’m training you to be a marine so you better be a good one!”

Arguments like these were practically routine now, especially since Luffy started declaring that he’d be the Pirate King. Somehow it only motivated the old man to train him harder.

“Imma be a good _pirate_ …” Luffy said, eyes feeling heavy. “Pirate King…”

He heard Gramps exhale through his nose as the old man didn’t respond. He continued trekking down the slope of the mountain, the faint sound of birds somewhere in the forest lulling Luffy into a doze.

“You,” Gramps started, and Luffy blinked slowly. “Why do you want to be a pirate?”

The boy hummed, half-awake. “..Wanna be free.”

His grandpa didn’t respond, eyes drawn ahead, and Luffy looked at him through bleary eyes.

“You could be free in the marines,” Gramps said a moment later. “They’ll protect you.”

Luffy closed his eyes and exhaled. His breath floated lightly in the air, white as the snow.

“...No they won’t.”

(Garp doesn’t question Luffy’s answer. The boy shouldn’t have any clue of what he’s saying, but in the back of his mind he knows. He knows that _Luffy knows_.)

The silence was deafening and now, Luffy was wide awake. The sound of snow crunching underfoot and the ringing in his ears was the only thing he could hear. Gramps said nothing, though his pace slowed.

It went on for a couple more minutes and Luffy left him to his thoughts, turning his head to look around them. The quiet was painful, but needed. This had to be confronted sooner or later. His mind was made up and no matter what his grandpa did it wouldn’t change. He was stubborn; Gramps knew that.

The silence was broken when Gramps finally spoke.

“Just… don’t go taking over the world, ya hear?”

Luffy’s head swerved, eyes blown wide with disbelief.

“Old ma—”

“Stay out of trouble if you can, but knowing that blood in your veins it’ll be impossible,” Gramps interrupted, chuckling a bit, but it sounded wet and full of regret.

“Gramps…”

The marine hero turned his head, tears gathering at the edges of his eyes. Luffy realized he was tearing up, too.

“Don’t get caught, you brat.”

Luffy’s lip quivered and he willed himself not to cry. Never—not once had he imagined—that such a day would come. He let out a laugh, a stray tear slipping down his face.

“As if, stupid geezer! I’m gonna be so strong, not even you can catch me!”

Gramps laughed too, tears streaming down his face. “You better! I don’t wanna attend my own grandson’s execution!”

Luffy hiccuped, an image of Ace on a tall wooden platform flashing painfully in the forefront of his mind. His resolve hardened, even as tears flew down his eyes. 

“You won’t have to.”

———

Garp stayed one night later than usual. He slept in his grandson’s room, holding the sleeping boy’s small form to his chest. He stared out the window, at the moon, and thought about the events that unfolded earlier that day.

It was inevitable—he’d always known that. With his son leaving, starting a rebellion against the government, and becoming the world’s most wanted man so soon after Roger’s death, he’d wondered what else life could throw at him. Later he’d been answered with a bundle that his son had given him, asking him to keep safe and raise in his place. Garp had been busy with his role as a marine and dropped the child off at Foosha, entrusting him to Makino’s care. He visited often, checking up on the baby as much as he could, before his visits slowly became less frequent, once or twice a month. By the time Luffy was five he could only visit once every two or three months.

He wondered how Luffy grew when he was away, how he spent his time. Before he knew it the baby was walking, talking, running around, and somehow decided to become a pirate. He’d started training him to convince him otherwise, to make him into a marine, but somehow his efforts did the opposite. 

Garp wanted Luffy to be safe. His son had run off to play a game with the World Government and he wondered if that was his fault, for not spending enough time with him. He’d tried to make up for it with his grandson but failed on that end, too. He’d looked away for a moment and when he looked back Luffy had changed as well.

He’d only ever wanted what was best for his family. Garp loved them dearly and wanted to protect them, but he had a duty in his role as a marine. With his son against the world and his standing as Vice Admiral there wasn’t much he could do besides go after him. His son barely showed his face but when he did he was lucky that Sengoku rarely assigned such tasks to him. After Luffy had been dropped on him he opted to raise him secret, in a remote village in the east Blue, where he could keep him safe. 

The first time the boy’s dream to be a pirate was declared he’d brushed it off. The second, fear for his safety grew in him. If Luffy became a pirate he’d be wanted, and if word got out of his heritage, even more so. He would be in danger, so Garp resolved to train him to be a marine, so he’d be safe within their ranks. It was naive and he refused to think of what could go wrong, but Luffy had thrown it into his face earlier.

As a pirate, as a marine, even as a civilian—Luffy would never truly be safe.

The D. in his name only hardened the fact.

In the end, Garp could only relent. Luffy was stubborn to a fault and dead-set on becoming a pirate, he knew. He watched his grandson grow stronger and stronger, the light in his eyes as he spoke of being a pirate or _Pirate King_ (god, he still wondered why his grandson had decided to be such a thing) and his resolve crumbled in the end. He gave in, but decided to help him along. He’d train him to be strong enough to protect himself and his crew if he ever gathered one. He trusted Luffy to gather good people. The world was full of strong people, especially in the Grand Line, in the New World. Garp could prepare him for that, at the very least.

_A marine encouraging a potential pirate,_ Garp thought to himself. _How Senny would be laughing at me._

Still, if he could, he’d throw in suggestions of becoming a marine to somehow convince him otherwise, no matter how futile it may be. He half wondered if he truely meant it now, with the realization that becoming a marine would possibly do more harm than good. It was probably out of habit at this point.

Luffy stirred, rolling around and blinking awake. Garp looked down at him as his grandson rubbed his eyes.

“Gramps…?”

Garp let out a light exhale through his nose and moved his hand from the boy’s back to his head, petting black hair.

“What woke you up?” He asked, whispering in the quiet of the room.

“Nothing,” Luffy mumbled back. “Just had a weird dream.”

Garp continued carding his fingers over the boy’s head. He thought of his earlier thoughts—of his son, Luffy’s father—and maybe, maybe his grandson would understand, just a little bit.

“Luffy,” he said, head turned towards the window once more, looking out at the dark sky, eyes distant. “Let me tell you about your father.”

———

A month had passed and the boy—Luffy, Sabo said his name was—hadn’t been seen again. While he slipped his mind sometimes, Ace never forgot about him, especially the words he said. They were words he’d never expected to hear, after all, and he knew the kid said them with sincerity. It made him happy, in a way. 

He’d only asked that same question once after the incident at the bar and after he’d gotten his answer it felt old. He still punched the man and escaped with Sabo at his heels but he didn’t go back again. Somehow it suddenly seemed entirely not worth it. He still had mixed feelings about Roger and himself but he didn’t want answers from strangers anymore.

They kept to the Gray Terminal and only went to Edge Town when they needed to sell stuff for money. The money they made plus the gold and silver and jewels they found from nobles who carelessly threw them away had them stacking up a pretty impressive pirate fund. The last time they counted, they had at least twelve million beri.

Ace thought about the kid again, his words, of freedom and pirates, and an excited rush filled his veins. He couldn’t wait until they became pirates and sailed those bright open waters.

For now though, they were stuck on this island, in this forest and dump, stealing and scavenging for their growing savings. 

Currently they were hunting in the forest for lunch. Sabo said he spotted a few rabbits and they were looking around the area the blonde said he’d seen them. The snow was soft under his boots and he was careful not to make too much noise in case he scared away the prey. Finding game in winter was hard enough when most of the animals were sleeping the season away. The lake they usually targeted crocodiles was iced over, too.

Ace could see Sabo further off in his peripherals by some bushes, seeming to have no luck as well. The rabbits’ white fur blended too well with the snow, after all, and they were fast for their size. Even if they found the small animals there was no guarantee they could chase after them.

Groaning under his breath, Ace turned towards his friend and whisper-shouted across the short distance. 

“We could try setting up traps,” he suggested. “It’d make this a helluva lot easier.”

Sabo looked at him, thinking, before shrugging. “I guess, but we don’t have any materials and your place is too far away.”

They usually stole stuff from the bandits to use in elaborate traps, but the bandit hideout was too far away and if they left the rabbits could be long gone by the time they came back.

“Well, got anything at your place? You could stop by the Gray Terminal for a bit, too. It’s not that far from here.”

Sabo shrugged, though looked thoughtful. “I might. I guess I could check, but you’d have to look for those rabbits yourself.”

Ace nodded easily enough. “That’s fine. Just come back quickly.”

He watched as Sabo straightened and dusted some snow off his pants. “Alright then,” the blonde said, before grinning teasingly. “Don’t go losing our lunch.”

Ace rolled his eyes. “Just go already, idiot. I’m hungry.”

Sabo snickered and left, footprints trailing behind him in the snow. Ace huffed through his nose and went back to searching for the rabbits.

A minute or two passed of him looking through bushes and around trees when he finally spotted a moving patch of white—two, to be exact. His eyes widened and he froze before he scared them off, quickly ducking behind a small tree.

The rabbits were sniffing around in the snow and Ace turned his head to see if Sabo was still nearby. When he didn’t see anything, Ace tsked and turned back towards the rabbits. Looks like he’d have to do it himself.

Taking a deep breath he sprung from his hiding place and into the open, the rabbits’ ears shooting up and heads swiveling towards him in surprise. They ran, snow kicking up into the air, with Ace hot on their heels.

They were much faster than he thought and Ace found himself cursing every time they managed to slip from his grasp. They wound through trees and snowy underbrush and Ace almost lost them twice. He kept chasing them around the forest, getting further and further from his original position. He hoped Sabo would be able to follow his footprints.

The chase stopped when the rabbits slid into a small hole under a tree. Ace got on his knees and stuck a hand in the burrow, waving around and feeling nothing but dirt.

The brunette growled alongside his stomach. “Get out here, you furry little shits!” All that running made him hungrier and it was doing nothing for his patience.

With another frustrated growl Ace looked up for something to poke around the hole 

with; preferably a long, pointy stick. Instead of finding a stick, though, he saw small indents in the snow around the tree. He scrambled to a stand and looked at the other side of the tree, seeing a similar burrow on the opposite end with two tracks of footprints leading out of it. 

Ace felt his eye twitch. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me…”

Before he could scream and chase after them, a deep rumble filled the previously quiet space. Ace stilled, sweat forming on his brow despite the cold, and turned around slowly. 

There, just a few measly meters from his face, was the Tiger Lord, teeth bared menacingly. 

Ace gulped.

When the fuck had it gotten there?

The beast roared, trees shaking and snow falling from thin branches, and Ace bolted, a startled cry leaving his mouth. The Tiger Lord followed, bounding after him like a predator after prey—like he had after the rabbits.

_Stupid, shitty karma!_ He screamed in his mind, gritting his teeth as he ran, feet sinking into the snow and making him slower than he’d like. He tried to zigzag through the trees and throw the Tiger Lord off but the tiger had no trouble keeping up and making the harsh turns. Ace cursed the feline’s flexibility.

After dashing to make a particularly sharp turn Ace slipped, his foot getting caught by the deep snow. He fell with a loud shout, turning on his back as the Tiger Lord stopped in front of him.

The tiger loomed over him, fierce eyes piercing into his own, and Ace could only brace himself for the inevitable. The beast opened its mouth and Ace closed his eyes, waiting for sharp teeth to close around him—

His eyes shot open when he felt himself being harshly tugged out of the way, watching as the tiger snapped it’s jaws shut in the space he once was. His head swerved to look behind him and he saw Sabo, in his blonde headed glory, dragging him through the snow.

“You idiot! Don’t freeze up if you’re about to be eaten! That’s how you die!” Sabo shouted, snapping Ace out of his stunned state and making him stand quickly. They ran as the tiger recovered from its confusion and started chasing both of them.

“How did you get back so fast?” Ace asked, shouting as they sprinted through the forest. “It's only been a few minutes! You couldn't have made it to the Gray Terminal and back!”

“I didn’t!” Sabo shouted back. “I heard your shriek and came to save you!”

“I didn’t shriek!” Ace yelled, cheeks flaring—from the cold, of course. “And I don't need saving!”

“Oh, clearly!” Sabo said, sarcasm dripping from his words. Ace could practically see the blonde rolling his eyes. “So you would’ve been fine if I hadn’t moved you out of the way back there?”

Ace scowled, but it was wiped off his face when the Tiger Lord got scarily close. He didn’t answer as they sped up, running like mad, sweating and their puffs of breath trailing behind them in the cold air. 

All too soon they were cornered, running straight into the dead-end of a cliffside. They turned, watching the tiger close in on them, and Ace couldn’t help but feel like he’d been in a situation like this before—or at least witnessed it.

With their backs against the cliff and the Tiger Lord blocking off their only exit, they were trapped. Ace would have tried to attack it to get out of there but he knew he was far weaker than the beast and he hadn’t even brought his pipe with him. The only thing they could do was wait to be eaten or look for some way to escape.

Ace’s eyes darted around for any hope but they were thoroughly trapped by the cliff’s tall walls. He could only watch as the Tiger Lord stopped in front of them, their backs pressing harder against the cliff. He closed his eyes with finality, bracing himself, Sabo doing the same beside him.

He felt the air move as the tiger leaned forward, jaw of sharp teeth wide open once more. 

His short life flashed behind his eyelids and he let out a small, shaky breath—

“OI! _GET AWAY FROM THEM!_ ”

Ace’s eyes shot open at the familiar voice just as _something_ washed over them like a wave. It was like the air around them tensed and solidified with the command and Ace felt the energy drain from his legs. It was familiar but so much more _intense_.

Ace sank to his knees, seeing Sabo do the same from the corner of his eye, just as the Tiger Lord froze in place. Its tail and ears perked as the fur on its back and its haunches rose. It turned, slowly, and its bright slitted eyes met dark, angry ones. 

The kid, Luffy, sneered. “You heard me. _Leave._ ”

The oppressing feeling washed over them again and Ace felt somewhat faint. He could tell the Tiger Lord was feeling the brunt of it—whatever _it_ was—since it was visibly shaking, its ears flattening against its head and its tail curling between its legs. The beast looked like it wanted to crawl into itself as it slowly backed up into the trees, keeping its frightened and dilated eyes on Luffy.

When it reached the edge of the trees, Luffy sent it one last glare. “Don’t come back.”

It was a clear sign of dismissal and the Tiger Lord eagerly took it, bolting off through the trees and deeper into the forest. It was when the bright orange of its fur disappeared that Ace realized where he’d felt that feeling before. First with the bear, and second at the bar.

“What…” Ace said, the shock still ice flowing through his veins. “What did you do?”

Luffy looked at him, the anger gone from his eyes and replaced with relief. He let out a breathy chuckle. “Shishi, don’t worry about it. Are you guys okay?”

At the question Sabo finally snapped out of it, shaking his head and giving Luffy a small, though startled smile. “We’re fine. Thanks for, ah, saving us. How did you find us?”

“Hm?” Luffy cocked his head to the side. “You felt scared and I heard screaming since I was close. Good thing too, since you guys might’ve died!” The happy expression slipped off his face as he frowned. “Don’t… Don’t do that again, okay? I was worried.”

Ace didn’t know what ‘felt scared’ meant but… “Why would you be worried? You hardly know us.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Luffy said, blinking. “You guys are my br—friends. Of course I’d be worried.”

Ace’s lips pressed into a thin line, unsure, but Sabo only smiled wider. “Well, thanks again! I don’t know what you did but it sure helped us!”

Ace opened his mouth, about to add on to that because _what the heck_ was _that anyway_ —when his stomach growled. Loudly.

Two pairs of eyes landed on him and Ace felt heat crawl up his neck. “Uh,” he said intelligently, and Sabo started laughing.

“S-Shut the hell up!” The brunette shouted, his face heating up further to his horror. Sabo laughed harder. “Stop laughing, dammit!”

Luffy was grinning in clear amusement. “You’re hungry?”

Sabo snickered as he spoke. “We kinda got in that position because we were hunting. Don’t know how Ace got all the way out here, though.”

“They were fast…” The brunette muttered in defense, crossing his arms.

Luffy beamed suddenly. “Oh! I know! Why don’t you guys come back to Foosha with me? Makino runs a pub and she’s really good at cooking!”

Ace blinked at the offer while Sabo frowned slightly. “Thanks, but,” he met eyes with Ace before turning back to the younger boy. “How will we pay?”

Ace nodded in agreement, going along with the blonde. They might’ve had the money but they didn’t have it on them, and as nice as Luffy seemed, they couldn’t totally trust him just yet, especially not with information about their pirate fund. They had a lot of money and, for all they knew, the kid was just trying to get on their good side. Though he kind of doubted that now after their second true meeting he was still cautious. Living with bandits and spending time in the Gray Terminal taught him not to give out his trust so easily.

Luffy grinned widely, almost confidently. “Don’t worry about that! I’ll pay for you guys! I’ll put it on my treasure tab!”

“Treasure tab?” Ace asked, idly remembering the kid previously mentioning that he wanted to be a pirate.

Luffy nodded. “Yeah! See, Makino takes care of me all the time! She lets me live with her and she feeds me and gives me clothes and all that! I wanna repay her, and she says she’s fine with me helping around the pub, but I really wanna pay her back for everything she’s done for me! So when I become a pirate I’ll get all this treasure and send it back to her!” Then he leaned in, cupping his mouth as if telling a secret. “Apparently she’s also having some trouble with money, so I’m finding and selling stuff from the Gray Terminal to make some beri. I’ve got around eight thousand beri under my bed right now and I think I’ll give it all to her in two years.”

He straightened, smiling wide once more, and Ace was a bit surprised. He told them how much money he had and where he had it in one go. Either he was stupid or entirely too trusting. Ace wouldn’t steal it though—one, because he was grateful to the kid, two, it was for a good cause, and three, he wasn’t _that_ low, dammit. He may have been raised by bandits but he wouldn’t _act_ like one.

“So? How about it?” Luffy asked. Beside him, Sabo shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, I don't mind eating free. Ace?”

His stomach answered for him and Ace looked away, a familiar red forming on his cheeks. “Let’s just… go…”

Sabo laughed again, louder, and Luffy joined him. Ace smacked them both upside the head.

———

The saloon doors swung open and Luffy pushed past the thick curtains keeping the cold and snow out, Ace and Sabo doing the same behind him.

“Makino! I’m back!”

His shout filled the mostly quiet bar, there being only two or three customers, and Makino looked up at him from behind the counter. 

“Luffy?” She asked, perplexed. “You’re back early. You only left less than an hour ago or so.”

“Yeah, but my b—friends were hungry so I brought them here!” Luffy said, mentally scolding himself for the slip up again. They weren’t his brothers yet so he couldn’t just go calling them that. “And don’t worry about them paying! Put it on my treasure tab!” 

“Your friends?” Makino looked around Luffy and at the two older boys standing behind him. She smiled. “It’s nice to meet you boys. I’m Makino. 

Sabo spoke, giving a small, if shy, smile. “I’m Sabo, and this is Ace.”

The brunette merely nodded silently, but Makino smiled at them anyway. “Well, come on in and take a seat! I’ll set some food out for you.”

Sabo thanked her politely as Luffy led them to the barstools at the front. They watched as Makino began cooking and despite eating earlier Luffy started drooling at the smells that filled the bar. Makino gave him a knowing look and made extra for Luffy, much to the boy’s delight.

The plates were set out in front of them, simple servings of fried rice that smelled (and tasted) delicious nonetheless. They ate quickly, hungrily, and while Luffy finished his second serving and was about to go on his third, he saw Ace and Sabo sitting awkwardly beside him.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, drawing their attention. Makino looked up from where she was washing the dishes. “You done eating?”

The two boys shared a look with each other before looking down at their plates, fidgeting a little.

“We—uh, we eat a lot. Usually,” Ace started, stuttering.

“Like, _a lot_ a lot,” Sabo added, earning a half-hearted glare from the brunette.

“But we’re fine. We don’t, uh, need any more,” Ace finished. 

Sabo nodded beside him and bowed his head. “Thank you very much for the food.”

Just as he finished saying that, at the same time both their stomachs growled, obviously not satisfied. They blushed bright red and ducked their heads as Luffy started laughing. 

Makino put her hands on her hips and smiled. “Now, I won’t be having hungry kids walk in my pub without leaving full. I don’t mind feeding you two, really. Eat as much as you want.” She grinned and waved a hand at Luffy who was already halfway finished with his third serving of fried rice. “Besides, I have experience feeding that little one since he’s been in my care. It’ll be fine.”

Ace and Sabo looked unconvinced. Undeterred, Makino rolled up her sleeves. “Well, how about I show you the skill I’ve gained over the past five years?”

——— 

There was a crowd watching them, surrounding the front of the bar where Makino cooked and the boys ate and ate. One of the customers earlier told a friend, who told another friend, who told another friend, and the next thing she knew a majority of the village was in her bar. Makino would have flustered over the amount of people there (even if they weren’t ordering anything) but she was two occupied with her task of dishing out more and more plates of fried rice. Really, when those boys said they could eat, they meant they could _eat_.

It was like feeding three Luffys at the same time. She could barely catch a break before one of them finished their plate and asked for another. She was sweating from cooking so much but the smiles on all their faces made it worth it.

Forty minutes later Makino reached into the bag of rice and found it empty, forcing their eating spree to come to an end. At least thirty plates were piled on the table in front of the boys. Seeing them stop, the awed customers clapped and left shortly afterwards. Makino heard some say that they’d stop over one day, so she was happy to have gotten some potential customers at least.

After announcing that they were out of rice Sabo’s eyes widened and he hopped off his barstool and to the floor, bowing at the waist.

“I’m sorry! We ate too much!” Sabo said, dragging Ace down and pushing him into a bow as well. “We’ll pay for the food after all!”

Makino shook her head, smiling slightly at them. “It’s alright, you don’t have to do that. I was the one who said I’d feed you as much as you wanted, after all.” She took on a thoughtful look. “Though, we are a bit low on food now.”

Turning to the boys, Makino smiled. “How about this? Instead of having Luffy pay for your meal in the future, come back every once in a while. I’d like to see you both again.”

Both Ace and Sabo looked up at her with surprised expressions. She chuckled a bit and added, “You both live in the forest, don’t you?” At their nods she continued. “Then, when you visit again, do you think you both can bring some game? Fresh meat does taste the best, after all.”

Stunned at the offer, both boys blinked. 

“Um, what about the rice?” Sabo asked.

Makino waved a hand, unconcerned. “We have some more bags in the basement and I can buy more if we need to. Don’t worry about it.”

After hearing that, the blonde looked to the freckled brunette who shrugged. Sabo looked back to Makino and nodded somewhat timidly but with a smile on his face. “We can do that, then. Thank you and, uh, sorry again.”

Makino smiled and Luffy, who had been sitting quietly, cheered loudly. He jumped from his seat and onto the two older boys, pulling them into a hug. “Yay! Ace and Sabo are coming again!”

Ace’s face turned red from the smaller brunette’s open display of affection and he put his hand on the boy’s face and pushed. “Oi, let go of me, idiot!”

Luffy stayed latched to them, hugging them tightly from their middles despite Ace’s pushing. Sabo looked uncomfortable but didn’t seem to mind too much, if the hand on Luffy’s back was anything to go by. Makino chuckled and watched as Luffy dragged them towards the stairs to see his room, probably to show them his drawings. He was awfully proud of them after all.

As they got further up the stairs their voices grew harder to hear and Makino started to clean up the dishes. As she put the plates in the sink, she heard Luffy’s happy shout.

“Makino’s really nice, isn’t she!”

After a pause, quieter than the five year old, two voices said, “Yeah, she is.”

Makino smiled as the sound of a door shutting reached her ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I recently learned that the practice swords that Zoro’s using for training at the dojo are called shinai, so I went back and edited that a bit. Also! A little trivia; the bit where Luffy says “A newborn child bears no sin!” is a direct reference to Roger’s line when he asks Garp to take care of Ace! Just wanted to throw that in there :D
> 
> The bit about Garp’s thoughts was a spur of the moment thing I hadn’t planned to include but am glad I did! Garp’s a really interesting character and I honestly felt bad for him after the whole Paramount War. At least I can give him reassurance here!!
> 
> Honestly, I’m not that great at writing inspirational bits (as seen in chapter 4 I might go back and edit that one day) but I think I did a pretty good job this chapter >:D
> 
> Anyway sorry for the long wait for the chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it! Things are finally starting to get a move on and it’s gonna get exciting from here! I’m gonna have so much fun writing it hehe. I’ll make an effort to write more and faster so the breaks between won’t be so long, but until then, see you guys next time! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
> 
> My Discord: https://discord.gg/B8YnWU4  
> My Tumblr: @Kyuyua


	7. People Are Always Changing, You Just Have to Look For the Signs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Luffy goes to pick up Zoro and finds that not everything is the same.

Luffy couldn’t sleep that night. Try as he might, with all his twisting and turning and flipping over to get into a comfortable position, he couldn’t shut his eyes for more than ten seconds. Maybe the fact that he wasn’t sleepy at all was part of the reason, but it was probably because he was too excited.

Tomorrow he’d be turning six, and tomorrow he’d be seeing Zoro. 

Three months had passed since he brought Ace and Sabo over and they became a somewhat common sight at the pub. They stopped by at least once every week, usually bringing some sort of game as a gift. Makino had been shocked when they brought in a danpa twice their size and Luffy had snickered a bit, thinking about the crocodiles in the lake they’d bring once it melted.

They usually came around lunch and after hanging out in the pub or in Luffy’s room for a bit they’d go out together to the Gray Terminal or the like and mess around there. Luffy introduced them to his friends there and they all got along pretty well, or well enough considering how antisocial Ace could be. Sabo did the talking as usual and Luffy was their in-between, though the freckled brunette was slowly (very slowly) opening up a bit.

They came across each other more often, too. Until they met those few months ago Luffy never actually saw his two would-be brothers. He’d felt their presences, sure, but he’d never seen them. Now they’d always somehow manage to meet in the Gray Terminal or Edge Town or even in the middle of the forest. Luffy always managed to sense them first but they always ended up walking in his direction, as if they were unconsciously being drawn to him.

The older two eventually became more used to Luffy’s presence after their constant run-ins and visits that they were hanging out almost every day. Of course, because of this it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise when a certain someone found the three of them together.

Gramps’ initial reaction upon walking into the bar and seeing the three of them at the barstools was of open-jawed shock. His eyes zoned in on Ace and Luffy (because he didn’t know Sabo just yet) and after processing the image in front of him he’d promptly dragged the two off for a training session, no questions asked. Sabo was left with Makino as he watched his friends flail in a hopeless attempt to get away, the doors shutting behind them. 

Three hours later they returned, Gramps laughing loudly with a dirtied Luffy shouting at the old man from under his arm and a dead-beat tired Ace hanging off his shoulder. Gramps dropped them both on the stools beside Sabo as he and Luffy shouted for food and Ace’s head hit the counter with a groan.

(Gramps had never trained Ace like that before. The geezer visited the bandit hideout from time to time and left him with multiple bruises on his head from Fists of Love but he had never spent more than an hour with the man before. Now, learning that Luffy was his biological grandson and had crazy training sessions like that with Gramps regularly, Ace wondered just how strong the kid was.)

Gramps left with the promise of returning soon and Ace, fearing for his future health and sanity, announced that he wouldn’t be visiting as often. With Ace not coming by as much, the same was said for Sabo and both boys only dropped by once or twice a week. Luffy was disappointed but could sympathize—spending time with Gramps in the past always resulted in more pain than it was worth. 

They continued to hang out every day away from Fuusha and while Luffy didn’t have as much time to train anymore he was happy. He liked spending time with both his brothers like this, and seeing them together always made him smile. It was a sight he missed with all his heart and the only thing that could make it better was having more friends to have fun with.

Instead of futilely trying to sleep Luffy ended up shuffling out of bed and drew the whole night, trying to make a gift for Zoro when he saw him (which was weird, because it was his birthday tomorrow. He hoped Zoro got him a present, too. He hoped it was meat). By dawn he’d collapsed on his desk from exhaustion with a pile of drawings at his side and some crumpled balls of paper scattered on the floor.

Makino found him later and gently shook him awake for breakfast, Luffy jumping up at the word and rushing down the stairs and to the pub. An extra large, extra delicious meat-only breakfast was set out in front of him which he promptly devoured and thanked Makino for with a big hug before the day started. He helped out around the pub as usual, chatting animatedly with the customers, and was bouncing in place as they closed for the day after lunch. 

The routine was the same as six months ago—renting a boat from a fisherman, the long trip to Shimotsuki, and keeping a look out for sea kings to blast with a little bit of Conqueror’s Haki. The only difference was Luffy’s restlessness to reach land and see his first mate waiting to be picked up.

What could have only been a few hours felt like days before they reached the port and Luffy jumped off the boat—almost shooting off if it weren’t for Makino’s call to wait. He did so reluctantly, though still hyper and excited, constantly shouting for Makino to “hurry hurry hurry!”

They walked down the streets of Shimotsuki, Makino looking around and noting some things she would buy on their way back and Luffy staring ahead excitedly, drawings clutched to his chest.

Six months was a long time. He wondered how strong Zoro had gotten.

———

Makino followed Luffy as the boy sprinted off through the dojo’s gates, people having to jump out of the way of the small hurricane. Makino didn’t bother yelling after him now, knowing it’d do no good, and apologized to the people in the newly-made six year old’s place. One of the fusuma doors slid open and a head peeked out to check the commotion. Makino recognized him as the dojo’s sensei, Koushirou.

Politely, Makino bowed in greeting. “Hello, Koushirou-san. I apologize for barging in like this.”

Koushirou blinked at her, probably putting a name to her face, before a kind smile took over his face. “Makino-san. It’s nice to see you again. And it’s quite alright, I’m glad someone seems energetic today.”

Makino gave a sheepish smile in return, rising from her bow. “Luffy was very excited for today. He looked ready to run off at the port if I hadn’t stopped him, though I’m afraid I couldn’t stop him from doing that here. I apologize if we’ve disturbed anyone.”

The dojo master stopped her before she could bow again, raising a hand and giving an easy smile. “It’s alright, Makino-san. I can sympathize, really. Zoro has been waiting for this day as well. I had to convince him to wait at the dojo instead of going to the harbor. Knowing that boy he’d probably get lost on the way.”

After chuckling for a moment, Koushirou gestured for her to step inside. “The sun’s quite bright today. Why don’t we talk a bit over some tea while the boys get reacquainted?”

Makino nodded, smiling at the offer. “That would be nice, thank you.”

She took her shoes off at the bottom of the porch and stepped onto the engawa, following the sensei into the dojo and sitting down on one of the pillows on the tatami floor, legs tucked under her. There was already fresh tea on the small table in front of her and Koushirou poured some into a spare cup, passing it to her in a smooth and graceful movement. 

As she took a sip from the cup Koushirou set his hands on his knees and bowed. “Thank you for agreeing to watch over Zoro. While I’m not sure of what spurred his sudden decision to go to your village and train with Luffy-kun, I’m glad he’s had something to look forward to after everything that’s happened.”

“Of course. It’s no trouble, really. Zoro’s a nice boy and both him and Luffy seem very close, despite knowing each other for only a few days. But,” her brows furrowed in concern, “you said something happened?”

“Yes,” Koushirou said, straightening from his bow and sitting somberly. “My daughter, Kuina, died recently. She tripped down the stairs and hit her head, killing her instantly, so at the very least I’m grateful she didn’t suffer.” 

He sighed, taking off his glasses and wiping them for a moment before putting them back on. “Zoro and Kuina were— well, rivals, you could say. That boy came to this dojo as a challenger and fought Kuina. He lost easily which upset him greatly, as he’d never been defeated before, and he started challenging her constantly after becoming a student of the dojo. They dueled two thousand times just before her death, Zoro never having won once.” 

Koushirou picked up his own cup of tea and took a slow slip. Swallowing, he continued. “I don’t think they were close enough to be called friends exactly, but the bond they shared after two thousand exchanged blows was a very strong and complicated one—one that I cannot understand myself, and I’m sure they couldn’t either. As it was, with her passing, Zoro did not take it easily. Instead of mourning her he trained day and night, in the snow or rain. He hardly took any breaks and before anyone knew it he had defeated every adult in the dojo.”

He set the cup down and smiled a tired smile at Makino. “Then, one day, he asked me for her treasured sword. He swore that, with it, he’d get stronger and achieve both their dreams—to be the best. It was only then that he cried for her.”

There was a moment of silence as he stopped speaking and Makino let the information sink in, feeling a pain in her heart for the boy.

She watched as Koushirou set his hands in his lap, his eyes staring straight into hers through his glasses. “I have no doubt that Zoro will get stronger away from this dojo. I know he’ll meet many people out there, experience many things, and he will make all sorts of bonds with people like he had with Kuina—like he has with Luffy-kun. He will be in your care until then, so please take care of him.”

Makino nodded and gave a reassuring smile. “You have my word.”

Smiling back, Koushirou stood. “Now, I think it’s time to find those boys. Last I remember, Zoro should be somewhere inside the dojo.”

He walked towards the fusuma and slid a door open, showing a narrow hallway. Turning to Makino, he gestured towards the door. “Shall we?”

Makino chuckled, rising to a stand. “Knowing Luffy, I don’t think it’ll be too difficult finding them.”

They left the room, Koushirou leading the way through the long winding hallways. After walking in silence for a bit, Makino spoke.

“Zoro will be fine.”

Koushirou turned his head a bit, listening. “Oh?”

Makino smiled to herself, hearing shouts and scuffling up ahead. “Luffy will be with him.”

———

Zoro’s presence popped up in the back of Luffy’s mind as the dojo was in their sights. He was practically itching in excitement as they approached the gates and he couldn’t help but sprint off as they passed under them. He could hear the startled shouts of people behind him as he rushed by but couldn’t be bothered since Zoro’s aura was like a beacon in the dark. 

He climbed onto the engawa, forgetting to take off his sandals, and threw open the first sliding door he saw. He ran through the halls and through random rooms towards Zoro’s presence, getting lost a few times and finding himself in the kitchen once. He stole an apple from a basket and continued his search, shouting his first mate’s name at the top of his lungs.

Luffy finally found him in the training room (of course that’s where he’d be, why hadn’t he looked there first?) and did the first thing any sane person would do when seeing a friend for the first time in a while—jump on him.

“ZORO!” He shouted, laughing as he landed on the startled boy’s back.

“What the— Luffy?!” Zoro spluttered, dropping his shinai and stumbling forward under Luffy’s sudden weight.

“Zoro!” He shouted again, hugging Zoro’s head and covering his eyes with his arms. “I was looking for you! There were too many rooms and hallways so I ran through them all! Why’d you have to be in the last room?”

“I bet you just got lost— and oi, move! I can’t see!” 

As Luffy snickered loudly the other students in the room turned to look at them, whispering to each other, but Luffy paid them no mind as he climbed up his friend. Settling on Zoro’s shoulders, he took the papers he had rolled up in his hands and opened them in front of the greenette’s face. 

“Look! I made these for you last night! Aren’t they cool? Take ‘em, take ‘em!” Luffy said, shaking the papers in front of him. The one at the front was of a giant green tiger, because Zoro was a lot like a tiger sometimes—always napping like a lazy cat but fierce and strong when he needed to be.

Zoro looked at the drawings (what was he even looking at? All he saw was a giant scribble of green and some black. Was that a tail? No, a snake? Green rope?) and took them from the smaller boy’s waving hands. “Uh, thanks. It’s nice. Can you get off me now?”

Luffy did so reluctantly but was jumping with excitement as his feet hit the floor. He held out his hands towards Zoro and made grabby movements. 

Zoro looked at him weirdly. “What?”

“My present! Gimme!”

“What present?”

“What do you mean ‘what present?’” Luffy cried, hands falling to his side. “It’s my birthday! You give presents on birthdays! I want meat!”

“Well you can have meat later,” Zoro said, setting the drawings down by a wall. He turned to Luffy, fists clenched and eyes determined. “Fight me.”

The atmosphere in the room took a turn and suddenly everyone’s eyes were on them. Luffy blinked at the change and gave Zoro a confused look. “Why?”

Zoro picked up his shinai from the floor. “I need to see how strong I’ve gotten.” His eyes flashed with an emotion too quick for Luffy to read as he plucked a third shinai from a rack and set it in his mouth. “How much farther I need to go.”

Luffy’s eyes widened as Zoro held the three swords, stance at the ready. He grinned. “Santouryuu? Did you beat Kuino?”

His grin fell off his face as Zoro’s eyes darkened, not bothering to correct the butchering of the name. “Kuina died. I never beat her, but now I hold both our ambitions and have to become stronger.”

Zoro’s eyes pierced Luffy’s and the younger saw something in them he saw long ago—a certain look in his first mate’s eyes that he saw once on a man who’d just been freed from nine days of starvation and beatings. The look of a man who was alone and had only one reason to live.

“I will be the World’s Strongest, or I will be nothing at all.”

(“And should you get in the way of my dream, I’ll have you commit seppuku to atone.”)

Zoro had eventually stopped thinking that way—that he was alone and his dream was the only reason he continued breathing. Zoro’s dream became theirs and theirs his. The Straw Hat Pirates became another part of his dream that he strove to protect and cherish just as the rest of them all did, but Zoro hadn’t started feeling that way until Arlong Park, and the change hadn’t come until Mihawk’s intervention.

What Luffy was looking at now was the Zoro he never truly knew, the Zoro who had lived his life by his swords and for one purpose until Luffy met him in that marine base and changed his life thereafter. 

While Luffy admired those who could give their life for their dreams and chase after it with everything they had, right now, in Zoro’s case, he didn’t want that for him. Because Zoro wasn’t alone. He had him. He would have them.

Luffy would make him see that.

He looked at Zoro with an equally determined look, nodding. “Alright,” he said, settling into the stance he’d taken during their last spar. “Let’s fight.”

As soon as the words left his mouth Zoro charged, surprising Luffy and forcing him to defend first. Normally Zoro would never make the first move. It was better to let your opponent attack first and the swordsman knew this, so either he was very confident or overly eager.

Luffy’s hands flew up to block the two swords coming down at him. They hit his arms with a loud sound and Luffy could feel the shinai shaking from the pressure Zoro was applying to them. Luffy’s block didn’t break, though, and Zoro didn’t let it deter him as he swung his head, sword and all, hitting Luffy’s block and breaking through the defense.

Luffy stumbled back and defended again, dodging and blocking and pushing away Zoro’s advances. He was sorely stuck on defense, not able to get in a hit at all since Zoro was leaving no openings. Luffy knew Zoro had trained a lot these past six months but he didn’t think he could improve this fast. Luffy could barely keep up, having barely trained at all due to Ace and Sabo’s recent reinvolvement in his life. The only times he’d really trained was that one time Gramps came to Foosha and the few days he didn’t see his potential brothers.

There was something different about the way Zoro fought now though. He couldn’t exactly name it, couldn’t explain it, but he felt it in the way his first mate struck without pause, swords swinging and slashing in every direction. It was different from how he fought before. Back then he fought for the fun of the fight, the adrenaline rushing through his veins and the excitement in every dodge and strike. It had been the same for Luffy. Now, Zoro fought to win, and to win fast. 

After blocking another one of Zoro’s slashes Luffy jumped back to put space between the two of them. Zoro lunged forward, the tip of his shinai aimed at his gut, and Luffy didn’t react fast enough to dodge the blow. He was hit straight in the stomach, the wind being knocked out of him and leaving him coughing up spit and choking for air. A strand of sweat slid down his face as he gasped, clutching his gut and standing on shaking legs.

Zoro stopped charging at him, standing in front of him with his fists clenched and teeth biting down hard on the training sword’s handle. The other students called out to him, saying he should stop or to go easier on him, but their words fell on deaf ears.

“What are you doing?” He grit out around the shinai, ignoring them. “Is that all you’ve got?”

Silver eyes stared straight into his own with such intensity that Luffy felt them pierce his soul. It was like he was looking for something and though Luffy didn’t know what he could place a guess.

Zoro would not follow a weak captain, he knew that well. Either physically or mentally weak, Zoro had said it himself that he wouldn’t follow someone who’d let someone else walk all over him. Now, Zoro was probably trying to find out where all of Luffy’s previous strength had gone. He was wondering why he was so weak. He was disappointed.

Luffy would not allow that.

There was a flash in his eyes and, with a sudden burst of energy and speed, Luffy ran up to Zoro and socked him equally as hard in the gut as he had to him with the sword. Zoro spluttered as he stumbled back with wide eyes, moving to clutch his middle but his hands were full and they hung there awkwardly instead.

“Who said I was done?” Luffy asked, teeth bared in a fierce grin. “I haven’t even started yet.”

Zoro grinned with him and this time they charged together. Luffy honed his Observation to greater lengths, easily moving out of the way of Zoro’s slashes and finding precise openings to exploit. They weaved around each other, dodging and attacking when they could, blocking when they couldn’t. Luffy’s grin became more excited as he felt Zoro’s pace matching his, his strikes becoming less victory-driven and more free, as if living in the moment. This was what Luffy wanted—for Zoro to have fun.

They didn’t notice Makino and the dojo’s sensei walk in and join the crowd of students that had gathered around them. They hadn’t noticed anyone but each other, really. Some students had to back up if they got too close and there was one time when Luffy knocked a shinai out of Zoro’s grip and the swordsman-in-training dove into the crowd to retrieve it, barely realizing there was a crowd there at all.

After a while they were both covered in sweat and breathing rough but neither slowed down. Neither were getting the better of each other, too, and Zoro spoke as he dodged one of Luffy’s punches.

“Oi, Luffy—“ he pushed another punch away from him with his sword. “Use that thing!”

“What thing?” Luffy asked, ducking under a swing of a shinai and blocking another with his forearm. 

“Haki! The armor one,” Zoro grunted, swinging again with the arm Luffy ducked under, successfully striking him in the side. Luffy blinked.

“Why?” He asked, decking Zoro in the face. The older stumbled a bit but carried on. 

“I wanna try fighting against it,” Zoro said, fixing the shinai in his mouth from where it loosened and attacking Luffy again. 

Luffy blocked it and moved to the side to dodge another swing. “Alright,” he said, “but you asked for this.”

Luffy pushed off with a foot and ran around Zoro, coming up behind him with a readied fist. Zoro quickly spun around, just in time to watch a metallic black crawl up his arm, and quickly defended himself with a sword. Luffy’s punch broke right through it, snapping it in half, and Zoro ducked out of the way before it could hit him. Luffy charged again and Zoro moved to slide his fist off aim with another shinai but Luffy overpowered him and hit him in the chest (pulling back some haki from his arm at the last second so he wouldn’t damage him too much). 

Zoro fell to the ground, back hitting the floor with a loud thump, and groaned loudly. Luffy stood just a ways away from him, slouching as he stood and breathing hard. The room was silent, save for their harsh breathing, and Luffy watched as Zoro’s head rolled to the side to examine the broken shinai he’d abandoned. Then, Zoro laughed.

“Damn,” he wheezed, chuckling. “Now you’ve really gotta teach me that.”

Luffy took another breath and giggled. “That’s the plan.”

Their words broke the awed stupor of the room and the crowd clapped, oohing and awwing at them. Both Luffy and Zoro finally noticed them and their eyes landed on Makino and the sensei at the back. Luffy helped his first mate up and supported his side as they walked over to the two, Makino looking surprised but proud and the sensei looking interested.

“That was quite the spar, you two,” the glasses-wearing man said. “I’m very impressed.” Turning to Zoro he added, “And I can see why you chose to train with Luffy-kun now. I’m looking forward to how the both of you will grow from here on.”

Zoro simply nodded and Makino crouched down in front of them, looking them both over. “Are you both alright? Those were quite some heavy hits I saw—it gave me a little scare, really. You both are really strong,” she said, praising and fussing over them at once. Luffy giggled at the praise and Zoro grunted.

Makino asked for some ice for the inevitable bruising they’d get later and the sensei called for one of his other students to show her the way to the kitchen. When the fusuma doors shut behind her the sensei turned to Luffy, smiling softly.

“I already said this to Makino-san but thank you for agreeing to house Zoro. He’s a handful but please take care of him,” he said, ignoring Zoro’s indignant shout and bowing.

At the polite display, Luffy copied the man, bowing at the waist. “It’s my pleasure,” he said stiffly, attempting to sound formal but tossing the act away when he heard the sensei chuckle. He straightened, looking up at the man and grinning. 

“I know he’s a lot to handle but Zoro’s nakama so of course I’ll take care of him, Glasses-ossan!”

“If anyone’s a lot to handle it’s you— and he’s Sensei, not Glasses-ossan!” Zoro said, brow twitching irritatedly. 

“Sensei-ossan!”

“That’s not—” 

Sensei chuckled, laying a hand on Zoro’s head. “It’s fine. I don’t mind at all. Call me what you wish, Luffy-kun. And I’m glad he’s in safe hands.”

Luffy giggled happily, nodding, and Zoro sighed in resignation.

They left the training room and met Makino in the hall, the barkeeper holding two ice packs in one hand and a plate of freshly cut apples in another. Luffy went for the apples first, shoving three into his mouth at once and only humming when Makino warned him about choking. She gave them the ice packs as Zoro reached for a slice and Luffy was suddenly reminded of their earlier spar and the damage he’d taken. With the adrenaline no longer numbing the pain Luffy felt all the bruises on his body pulse at the same time, making each sore spot known. Luffy’s nose wrinkled slightly as he shoved the ice pack under his shirt where Zoro had hit him in the gut.

Turning to Zoro, he watched as the older boy chewed on his apple while holding the ice pack to his chest. Despite pulling back some haki, Luffy’s last punch still must’ve really hurt.

Swallowing the food in his mouth and grabbing another slice, Luffy grinned at him. “You know Zoro, you got a lot stronger than the last time I saw you. What type of training did you do?”

Zoro looked at him for a moment before looking at his apple slice and shoving it into his mouth. “The usual,” he said simply.

Luffy’s brow rose a bit but he didn’t say anything about it, though Sensei gave him a concerned look. “I didn’t train all too much recently. I made some friends and we play all the time! It’s really fun—you’ll get to meet them too! I bet you’ll get along—especially with Ace! He kinda acts like you, y’know? But grumpier.”

“I’m not grumpy,” Zoro grunted.

“You are too! Your eyebrows always have a wrinkle between them. You’re still small and it’ll look weird when you’re older,” Luffy said, eating another slice. He chewed a bit before continuing, looking thoughtful. Food sprayed from his mouth as he spoke. “Ace’s eyebrows are like yours but they’re stuck. I don’t think they can go back to normal. At least yours relax sometimes, but if you keep doing it yours will be stuck too.”

Zoro cringed, wiping the bits of apple that had stuck to his face from Luffy’s spitting. He rubbed his hand on the smaller boy’s shirt in disgust before saying, “I don’t have wrinkles.”

“You do! Look!” Luffy took his pointer finger and stuck it between Zoro’s brows, rubbing at the wrinkle. Zoro slapped his hand away but Luffy kept trying to poke at it, saying he’d rub it away for him.

As they went back and forth, Zoro holding Luffy’s arms back as the younger tried to touch his face, Makino laughed.

“They get along well,” she said, smiling at the boys.

Beside her, Sensei nodded, a content and relieved smile on his lips.

———

They ended up staying over for the night, Sensei offering a place for them to stay at the dojo. Makino was given her own room and Luffy decided to sleep in Zoro’s. The older boy protested very loudly at first (“I bet you drool!” “No I don’t! You do!” “I do not!”) but eventually relented after Luffy’s consistent annoying pleading.

Two futons were laid out in the center of the room and Luffy immediately jumped and rolled over them, messing up the comforters and pillows. Zoro ended up kicking him off and onto his own futon before fixing his own and turning off the lights. Luffy squirmed to get his pillow back in place and dove under the covers. Futons were a bit weird—he was more used to beds and hammocks, but they were better than sleeping on the bare ground and the blanket was really warm. Plus, it reminded him of his days at the bandits’ hideout with his brothers, so he couldn’t say he minded it at all.

Luffy wanted to stay up longer and talk with Zoro and maybe have a pillow fight but it turned out he was exhausted—especially after the spar with Zoro. They spoke for a bit before Luffy’s eyes inevitably flew shut and he fell asleep.

It felt like only a few seconds had passed when his haki spiked and his eyes flew open, darting around with a startled breath. He took in the sharp red of the sky and the scent of dust and iron flew up his nose, choking him, and Luffy knew immediately that he was dreaming. A glint of light caught the corner of his eye and he shot out a bruised arm, slapping the sword out of the marine’s hands and decking him in the face, knocking him unconscious easily. 

A flare of pain shot up his arm and Luffy winced, grabbing his wrist and shouting as he let it go, the pain increasing and like spiteful fire in his veins. He looked down at his arm with teary eyes, his head hurting horribly and his heart beating in his ears ruthlessly like a drum. His arm was wrapped in loose bandages, reds and purples peeking out from the dirtied white of the cloth. The bandages had come entirely undone by his hand, his wrist exposed and severely swollen, covered in an ugly dark purple with blue at the edges. 

Luffy couldn’t move, the pain nailing him to the ground and his knees falling under him. He curled up on himself, forehead to the ground and arm shaking violently, sweat dripping down his face and his teeth tearing through his lip. His mind was clear despite the pain, though, and he was screaming at himself to get up—to move, dammit! 

Because he knew what was going to happen. This wasn’t a normal nightmare. It was a memory.

Luffy’s brain shouted the command repeatedly but his body wouldn’t respond, continuing to shake on the dirty, bloodied ground. One of his legs twitched and he could practically see the marine charging at him, sword raised high and glinting maliciously in the red sun. 

His other leg jolted and suddenly he could move. He scrambled to a stand, arm still pulsing with pain, and turned around.

There was a flash of silver and red exploded in front of his eyes, droplets shining like maroon jewelry in the air. They fell slowly, as if in slow motion, and everything around them grew silent. Luffy’s ears rang as his eyes followed the body falling in front of him, the body that hadn’t been there seconds before, the ringing and static growing louder and louder the further it fell.

Then, the body hit the floor with a heavy thump that seemed to echo, and the blood came rushing to his ears and everything came back to life so suddenly—the shouts, the smells, the red red red.

“ZORO!!”

Luffy screamed, the sound so broken and his throat cracking with the volume he emitted as Zoro’s body bled out, his chest to the ground and arms splayed out beside him, Wado Ichimonji just an inch from his still fingers. Blood sprayed from the deep slash across his back and Luffy charged at the marine, punching him with his good arm, the last bits of his haki draining out into his fist. The marine barely had time to spit out blood as he flew back from the blow and crashed into a wall, blood splattering and leaving a dent in the bricks. 

Luffy didn’t give the dead man a second thought as he rushed back to Zoro, eyes wide and frantic. 

“Zoro!” He dropped to his knees beside him, his hands hovering over Zoro’s body. Blood flew out of him like a river, pooling up beneath him like a dark red lake. Luffy shoved his hands over the wound in an attempt to keep blood from flowing out, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through his wrist, his fingers shaking as he tried to keep the liquid in one place.

Despite his attempts, red fluid fell through his fingers and onto his first mate’s already blood stained clothes. “Stop!” He cried, tears forming in his eyes and threatening to drip over his cheeks. “Stop bleeding! Don’t you die too, dammit! Come on Zoro!”

The body under his hands shuffled a bit as Zoro’s head turned to look up at him. He grinned weakly, blood dripping out from the corner of his mouth. “...What’s with that look on your face,” he said, voice coming out as a rasped whisper. “You look… stupid.”

“Oi, don’t talk, idiot! You’re hurt! You’re hurt really bad but you’ll be alright, I swear!” Luffy said, his voice cracking at the end. His vision grew blurry as he felt Zoro’s body slowly becoming colder and colder. He hastened to rip off his sleeve to hold over the wound but Zoro’s hand came up and grabbed his wrist.

“Don’t… There isn’t enough time and the wound’s too deep. Get out of here already. Before… before more back up—” A terrible cough broke his sentence, the hand around Luffy’s wrist tightening as he spat out blood.

“Zoro!” Luffy shouted, watching his first mate heave for breath, his single eye lidded and sweat dripping down his chin. 

Zoro’s face was becoming a deathly pale and Luffy knew he had to get him out of there fast. He gently lifted the older man up to where his arm was wrapped around his wounded back, minding the gash. Luffy attempted to pick him up when a hand grabbed his shoulder and squeezed.

“Luffy, stop. You have to go by yourself,” Zoro said, voice now barely above a whisper. Luffy grit his teeth as his vision misted up once more, a stray tear slipping from his eye.

“I’m not leaving without you,” he said, voice wobbling yet firm. “I’m not letting you die too.”

Zoro’s brows furrowed as he bared his teeth, gripping Luffy’s shoulder harder and speaking with as loud and forceful a voice he could manage. “Listen to me..! I’ll only slow you down. Face it—I’m done for. You have to leave me!”

Luffy could hear the scattered sounds of footsteps approaching but his eyes stayed focused on Zoro’s own, silver eye gleaming in the red light. A tear fell down his face, then another, and another, until tears were flowing from his eyes without restraint. “Don’t… Don’t say that,” he said, voice quiet and wet. “I— You— You can’t die. I won’t let you. If you do... I—“

I’ll be alone.

The tears came down harder and it felt like he couldn’t breath, like something was stuck in his throat and wouldn’t let any air in. He swallowed, multiple times, until he let out a shaky breath. “E-Everyone’s gone,” he said, choking on his words, his tears, the damn dusty air. “Don’t leave me too…”

Zoro’s eye softened and his grip on Luffy’s shoulder had lessened considerably. His hand moved down to the young captain’s chest, right over his heart. 

“I’m sorry,” Zoro said, and Luffy let out a completely mirthless laugh, lips wobbling downwards and hands shaking at the answer. That’s not what I want you to say, he thought.

“I’m sorry...” Zoro said again, “about everything. But please, for myself and the others—“ The hand on Luffy’s chest moved, pushing him with so much force that he fell backwards, losing his grip on Zoro.

As he fell, their eyes never left the others and Luffy watched as his first mate’s lips moved, forming a single word. 

“Live.”

A gunshot ran throughout the space and Luffy felt the air by his ear shift. His back hit the floor as he watched Zoro’s body jolt, blood spurting from the small hole over his heart. Luffy froze, eyes blown wide open and face pale. Zoro fell back, eyes firmly shut, and landed with a sickening splat in the pool of his own blood, still.

Luffy’s head whipped back to find a marine officer with a gun a distance away, completely in his blindspot. He wasn’t able to see him, but from where Zoro had been in his arms, he had. Luffy looked back at Zoro’s body, his unmoving chest and pale skin, and terror filled every inch of him.

“No…” He said, voice full of disbelief. He reached a hand out towards the body, fingers shaking. “No, this— this can’t—” Luffy swallowed thickly, shaking Zoro lightly. “O-Oi, Zoro, get up. This… This isn’t funny, you know?”

There was no reply and Luffy shook him harder, frantically. “Zoro, come on, get up! Open your eyes!”

His shaking stopped suddenly and Zoro’s head fell limply to the side, like a marionette with cut strings. Luffy’s lips trembled and he found himself crying once more, sobs and whimpers escaping him. A horribly empty feeling consumed him as he hung his head, tears dripping onto Zoro’s lifeless form.

“Why?” He asked, voice pained and vulnerable. “Why did you do that?”

He sat there for what felt like forever but could only have been a few seconds, sobbing and clutching at the dead body of his friend. The faces of all his nakama flashed in his mind and he let out another choked cry. Everyone had died and Zoro had been the last. 

He was the captain. He was supposed to protect them. So why was it that he was the one who had to be protected?

Was he really that weak?

In his mind he knew the answer.

And because he was so weak, because he couldn’t protect them—now he was truly alone.

A second gunshot shattered the silence and broke Luffy from his mourning and grief. The bullet was off the mark by a yard or so and Luffy looked up at it, eyes dull and red at the edges from crying. He wondered at the point of using a gun—bullets being ineffective against him and his rubber body. Zoro shouldn’t have pushed him back, but maybe blood loss and the sight of so many kairouseki-coated weapons they’d seen hours before had him paranoid. Even if the bullet had been made of kairouseki, Luffy wouldn’t have minded being shot if it meant Zoro could still live. 

The tears stopped coming and he wiped his face, turning to look at the marine who had shot and finding it to be the same one who dealt the finishing blow to his friend. A new feeling welled up within him, overriding the hollowness and pain he’d felt just seconds ago. A deep rage filled him, sparking his worn and tired limbs with energy, a fire burning in his gut. He set Zoro’s body down on the ground gently, taking Wado from the ground and wrapping Zoro’s hands around it, setting the sword on his chest. He stood, fists clenched into tight balls by his side. 

Luffy looked straight at the marine, the man standing a few yards away and hiding behind some rubble of a ruined building. He could see more marines from the corners of his eyes, heard shouts in the distance, and knew that the enemy’s reinforcements had finally arrived. Luffy couldn’t care less at the moment, though, empty eyes piercing the marine who’d done the greatest of sins.

Steam rose off his skin, his limbs gaining a pinkish hue, and he sneered.

“I’m going to KILL you.”

He shot off, and his vision turned red.

.

Luffy woke up a moment later, the dreaming ending with his shout for blood. He was sticky with his own cold sweat and drowning in tears and snot and he hastily wiped at his face, hiccuping every once in a while and shivering a bit. He hadn’t had a dream like that in a long, long time—ever since those first few months after the time travel. He didn’t know why it happened now but he’d been unprepared, not ready for the emptiness and grief that filled him, nor the bloodlust and hatred that made his own skin crawl. He rubbed his arms and sat up, looking around.

He took in everything slowly, the dim moonlight coming into the dark room through the fusuma’s thin paper walls, the blanket thrown haphazardly around him, and the body sleeping soundly in the futon beside him. Luffy’s eyes stuck to the form under the comforters, watching Zoro’s back rise and fall gently. He let out a small sigh, forcing himself to relax. Zoro was alive, there was nothing to be so worked over right now.

He gave another sigh, feeling more like a man in a child’s body than ever before. 

Luffy stretched a bit and stood up, making his way towards the inner fusuma doors and sliding it open silently, stepping out into the hallway. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep immediately after that so he decided to find the kitchen and get some water. 

He walked down the halls silently, having grown used to stepping lightly and quietly in the dark after nightmares. He kept his thoughts away from the battlefield and focused on finding the kitchen, trying to remember where it was.

He found it eventually and, after searching the cupboards a bit, found a cup and poured himself some water. After he drank and got the leftover chills out of his system, he placed the cup by the sink and started back to his shared room with Zoro, not feeling like going outside and wandering some more. 

Luffy slipped into the room as easily as he had slipped out and headed towards his unkempt futon. Instead of laying back down, though, he stood still, staring down at it with a lost expression. He didn’t really feel like sleeping alone right then and definitely didn’t want to be left with his thoughts. He didn’t want to bother Makino either so he was at a loss. He glanced around the room, eyes landing on Zoro’s rolled over form once more, and pursed his lips before making his way to the futon beside his, crawling under the covers.

Zoro didn’t so much as twitch as Luffy settled beside him, deciding to use the small head pillow Zoro had abandoned for himself. He laid still for a while, a bit tense and eyes trained sorely on the ceiling, mentally counting his friend’s quiet breaths to keep himself distracted. A drowsiness eventually washed over him, the distraction similar to counting sheep, and the rhythm of Zoro’s breaths were relaxing and made him calm. 

The next thing he knew he was asleep, a dreamless dream playing behind his eyes.

———

When Zoro woke up, the first thing he noticed was how uncomfortably hot it was. He groaned and tried to roll over but found he couldn’t move. He tried again but felt his limbs being tied down and a heavy weight on his chest. He blinked his eyes open, wondering what the heck was going on, and saw a sleeping face beside his, the person snoring loudly and obnoxiously. 

Zoro blinked a few more times, wondering if he was dreaming, when he inhaled and took in a disgusting lungful of morning breath. He gagged and tried to push the boy off him.

“Eugh, your breath stinks! Get away!” 

He wriggled a bit more but his efforts didn’t shake the smaller boy off him, only waking him up. Luffy opened his eyes slowly and yawned widely, exhaling in Zoro’s face and making him gag once more.

“G’mornin…” Luffy muttered, rubbing his eyes and looking like he was about to fall asleep again.

“Oi, don’t sleep! Get off me already! What are you even doing in my futon?” Zoro shouted, trying to shake Luffy off once more. Luffy didn’t say anything but did roll off Zoro, the weight disappearing from his chest and finally allowing the older boy to breath properly. He sat up and rubbed a hand over his eyes, looking around the room and seeing Luffy’s bedroll messy and empty. Beside him, said boy was gathering the comforter and pulling it over his head, complaining about the room being too bright. Zoro grabbed a corner of the blanket and yanked it away from him, making Luffy groan and dig his face into the sheets.

“Why are you in my futon?” He asked again. Luffy still didn’t respond, only humming tiredly into the futon. Zoro was about to open his mouth and ask once more when a distant call reached the room, the voice kind and feminine. 

“Luffy, Zoro! Breakfast is ready!”

As soon as the word ‘breakfast’ was heard Luffy shot up, scrambling out of the futon and shooting out the door with an excited cry of “FOOD!!”

Zoro sat still, hand still raised by his face and suffering from the whiplash of his captain named Luffy. He sighed though, knowing he’d have to get used to this, and stood, following after the smaller boy to the dining room.

Breakfast was a quick affair and Zoro quickly learned that Luffy had the appetite of a starved lion, practically inhaling the food set out for him. Makino had said nothing as eight plates were stacked beside the small boy and he let out a loud, disgusting burp. Sensei also didn’t seem bothered by it and raised his tea cup to his lips, sipping silently. At the table, only Zoro seemed somewhat uncomfortable, though he knew that he’d also have to get used to that too.

Apart from Sensei and himself, no one else lived in the dojo. Every student and helper lived down in the village, meaning it was quiet and no one was there to see him leave since Sensei closed the dojo for the day. He didn’t want a going away party either, preferring to leave quietly, so he was fine with this. He roamed around his room, choosing things to pack away and take with him. The doors to the engawa were wide open, displaying the courtyard where Luffy was running around. Zoro rolled his eyes when he heard Luffy climbing up a tree and loose footing, yelping in the distance as he fell.

If you were going to fall you shouldn’t have climbed it, he thought absentmindedly, checking over his stuff.

Zoro didn’t own many personal items and therefore only had one bag filled to the brim with clothes. Along with two shinai and Kuina’s katana, he wouldn’t bring anything else with him. 

At the thought of Kuina’s katana, his eyes looked over the room and found it propped against the closet door. He walked over to it and picked it up, running a hand down it’s white sheath. He unsheathed it a bit, showing about three inches of the blade and watching how it reflected the sunlight.

He realized he’d also have to bring a cleaning kit and whetstone for the katana and sheathed its blade, mentally reminding himself to ask Sensei for them. Despite sheathing the sword, though, he didn’t put it down, continuing to stare at it.

A scene of a brightly lit night and swords flashed behind his eyes as Zoro’s grip around the katana tightened ever so slightly. Their promise rang in his ears, the one they made the day before Kuina’s death, promising to be the best.

Zoro would absolutely fulfill it. No matter what, he’d train harder than ever and absolutely become the strongest. His name would reach the ends of the world, even up to the heavens, and all would know of his strength. That was their dream, and he’d do anything to see it come true.

He stared at the white sheath for a moment more before moving to slip it into haramaki Sensei had given him, stopping and jumping in surprise when a voice spoke beside him.

“Oooh, it’s Wado!”

Zoro turned, seeing a head of black hair standing next to him and looking at the sword. Shaking himself of his shock and mentally reprimanding himself about paying more attention to his surroundings, he gave Luffy a curious look and asked, “Wado?”

Luffy nodded, getting closer and looking over the sheath, reaching out to touch it. Zoro watched as the boy’s small fingers brushed over the white surface gently before pulling away. “Yup!” He said. “It’s name! Wado Ichimonji! Didn’t you know?”

Zoro shook his head. “Swords have names?”

Luffy nodded again, smiling. “Yeah! —Well, only some, but the ones that do are really strong!”

Zoro hummed and looked back at the katana—Wado Ichimonji—before tucking it into his haramaki, committing the name to memory. He looked back at Luffy as he picked up his bag of clothes. 

“Well, I’m done packing now, though there’s still some stuff I have to get from the dojo,” he said, walking towards the doors leading to the hallway, “but we should be able to go soon.”

Luffy’s eyes widened in excitement as he let out a happy shout, jumping around. “We’re going now?! Great! You’re gonna love Fuusha! Ah! Race you to the gates!”

And like that, the younger boy shot off, racing out of the room and into the courtyard. 

“Oi! I said soon! Not now!” 

There was no response, only laughter getting further away towards the dojo’s gates. Zoro’s eyes twitched and he set his things back down before chasing after the idiot he decided to call his captain.

He sincerely hoped every day wouldn’t be like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been awhile! I was actually hoping to get this chapter out sooner but a lot of things came up. Sorry about that!
> 
> This chapter was supposed to be longer, actually—I only wrote about half of what I planned for this chapter!—but I thought it’d be too long and decided to split it with chapter eight. We’ll be seeing some ASL + Zoro (or as I like calling, ASZL) in the next chapter, finally! I’ve really been wanting to write it hehe. Also, a little thing that no one probably noticed, I changed the measurements from metric to american to make it easier on myself lol. So no more meters and whatnot (except for some few exceptions of course).
> 
> Unfortunately, school is starting up again next week so whether or not I’ll be able to update quickly depends. I’m hoping that I’ll actually end up more motivated to get out chapters faster (however that’ll work) but who knows. I also plan to go back and rewrite the first few chapters since there are a lot of things I’m not happy with (small details mostly but I’m paranoid lol), and I’ll also be posting new chapters at the same time, but we’ll see how that goes.
> 
> Thank you to those of you who comment on my chapters and all the kind words and support you give! It really gives me a little push to write and I appreciate it and love you all! Also, come join my discord and see some sneak peeks and get updates on the updates! Warning: It’s a bit chaotic there so have an open mind I guess. Check out my Tumblr too! I do art stuff :P Now, with that said, thanks for reading and I hope to see you all in the next update!
> 
> My Discord: https://discord.gg/B8YnWU4  
> My Tumblr: @Kyuyua


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